Basket-hilted Sword, blade dated 1662, hilt, British; blade, German, Steel, wood, silver, L. 39 7/8 in. (101.3 cm); L. of blade 34 1/4 in. (87 cm); W. 5 in. (12.7 cm); Wt. 2 lb. 6 oz. (1077 g), Swords, English hilts of this type, with chiseled ornament featuring portrait medallions, are often referred to as mortuary swords. The term seems to be an invention of nineteenth-century collectors and refers to a supposed likeness between King Charles I (executed in 1649) and the portrait medallions on the hilts.
Basket-hilted Sword, blade dated 1662, hilt, British; blade, German, Steel, wood, silver, L. 39 7/8 in. (101.3 cm); L. of blade 34 1/4 in. (87 cm); W. 5 in. (12.7 cm); Wt. 2 lb. 6 oz. (1077 g), Swords, English hilts of this type, with chiseled ornament featuring portrait medallions, are often referred to as mortuary swords. The term seems to be an invention of nineteenth-century collectors and refers to a supposed likeness between King Charles I (executed in 1649) and the portrait medallions on the hilts