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 Thames in 1739 when the building of the present Westminster Bridge was in progress. It is essentially a fighting sword, and in its original state must have been a fine enriched weapon. To-day, after its long immersion, it has only the engraved silver scabbard-mounts to tell the tale of its departed glories; on these are engraved arms, doubtless those of the owner (Fig. 161).

Collection: Signor Osma of Madrid

Of the early XIVth century swords in the Wallace Collection, No. 5, a war sword with a stiff thrusting blade, is a fine and characteristically shaped weapon. The pommel is of the heavy wheel form, and the quillons droop slightly towards the blade, which is 29-1/2 inches long and bears as an armourer's mark the letter T (Fig. 162). A sword bearing the same armourer's mark, but one inch longer in the blade, was formerly in the collection of the Baron de Cosson. Both swords were found in France, whilst a third sword of exactly the same type, though with a different mark upon