Spanish sword. The hilt consists of a gilt solid half-basket guard with raised bars and (Spanish) crown and anchor badge, leading to a short quillon with upturned disc finial. The space between the bars is fitted with a punched design. There is a lion's-head pommel and back-piece, the mane extending only a third of the way up, the remainder with two ridges, leading to a decorated ferrule at the top of the grip. The grip is white plastic bound with three gilt wires. The finial of the quillon is decorated to resemble a rosette. There is a folding flap on the obverse side (no hole) and a slit in the guard near the pommel for a swordknot (missing).

The blade is a straight, flat-backed and of relatively thick section. A deep, wide groove runs for practically the whole length from the shoulder to within 25mm of the point. The blade is decorated for rather less than half (330mm) of its length. It has a symmetrical point. This blade is relatively stiff for a modern sword-blade. On the obverse there is an engraved town (?) mark at the shoulder, a panel of etched strap-work and rococo foliage, the Spanish eagle displayed with, on its breast, the arms of Spain, rays above and below, strapwork and foliage. On the reverse there is an engraved manfacturer's mark on a panel with the strap-work each side (on the shoulder), the etched inscription 'MARINA ESPANOLA', a foul anchor surmounted by the Spanish crown (shown as a coronet) with rays above and below, interwoven strapwork and foliage. The black leather scabbard has two gilt lockets, the top with a suspension ring, and a gilt chape with a shoe. The top locket has its ring secured in a German way (through a knurled loop) and is decorated with a group of four threads. The mid locket, which has no ring, has two groups of four threads and the chape one group. The back of the top locket has a rectangular cut to make way for the spring operating the folding flap on the guard. The lockets are wedge-shaped, their longer edges being towards the front edge.

This sword was purchased brand new via the British Naval Attache, Madrid. It shows, in its suspension and in the casting of the lion's-head a marked German stylistic influence. The workmanship of the etching is poor on the whole and this is presumably the explanation for the 'coronet' on the blade. The crown on the hilt, though, lacks the five arches noral on the Crown of Spain. Presumably, the mark on the reverse of the blade signifies that it was made in the Fabrica Nacional in Toledo.