Hey Carl, yeah the mark I was refering to is on the blade like the one on the first sword picture that you posted. Since I was not aware of this posting at the time, I didn't pay particular attention to what the stamp or mark was, only that it was in the same place, and the sword definately looked the same. Steel basket, double edge. I am a member of the Keith Clan, Earl Marishals of Scotland, and have always (perhaps mistakingly) refered to this as a claymore. These Higlanders fought alongside a force of about 1000, comprised of mostly British Regulars, and local tribes of Indians.

Interesting history, Lin. Very impressive!

Dustin, to my knowledge, the term "claymore" is actually correct for a basket hilted broadsword, as it was used in the 18th century. I believe that only in recent times has the term been applied for a two-hander.

Steve Maly includes a discussion of the term Claymore in his hands-on review of the Albion Chieftain sword.

So, any ideas on that basket marking? Is it an "Mt", or an "IW"?

AFAIK, in case it hadn't been mentioned yet, the two main makers of these types of swords were Drury and Jeffries, both out of Birmingham.... I'm not aware of them marking their swords with anything other than their names and the crown over "GR" stamp......

The group of Scottish Highlanders that fought the Spanish in colonial Georgia was the Highland Independent Company of Foot, raised in 1740. There was also a mounted Troop of Highland Rangers (raised 1739). As an aside, independent companies were a feature of the 18th c. British Army - they were companies of regular troops who were not assigned to regiments. This group was raised by General James Oglethorpe in the Highlands in the 1730's to serve as martial farmers and as a southern buffer against Spanish encroachment from Florida. Oglethorpe received permission to recruit in the Highlands from the clan chiefs, who needed to reduce the population (of which there was a overage at the time). Oglethorpe found recruiting easy because of the economic hard times in the Highlanders. He recruited entire families to come over to take up land at a spot called New Inverness (today, Darien GA). The Highlanders did fight the Spanish in the swamps wearing their Highland dress (or locally-adapted variations of it) using traditional Highland weapons. When Oglethorpe went to visit his Highlanders, he wore Highland dress to please them. The Highland Independent Company of Georgia was disbanded in 1748 and its members assimilated into Georgia society. I don't know whether the Highlanders carried privately-owned swords or government issue ammunition-quality baskethilts, of which the illustrated sword might be one.

For more information, see Anthony W. Parker, "Scottish Highlanders in Colonial Georgia: The Recruitment, Emigration, and Settlement at Darien, 1735-1748", University of Georgia Press, 1997, ISBN0-8203-1915-5[/u]