Or semi-spatha blade with parallel-sided lentoid-section body and a long rectangular-section tang; Mainz type, Wederath-Canterbury-Kopki variant; repaired and surface treated.

PROVENANCE:
Ex South London collection, acquired 1970-1990.
The Kusmirek Collection, UK.

Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

LITERATURE:
See Miks, C., Studien zur Romischen Schwertbewaffnung in der Kaiserzeit, I-II Banden, Rahden, 2007, p.637, no.A369, for similar specimen from Korytnica (Poland), found in 1999.

FOOTNOTES:
In contrast to the average length of the Roman Pompeii type gladius, some Roman swords, continuing the typology of the Mainz gladius, tend to be longer and transform themselves into a semi-spatha. Both the weapon from Eich (Miks, 2001, AI43), and especially a gladius from Korytnica with approximate blade length of 548mm (total length 762mm) is very close to the length limit of a semi-spatha. The same can be said of a blade from Godmanchester (Miks, 2001, no.A824) for its dimensions and proportions, where the tip of the blade already gives a significantly shorter impression, showing a certain relationship to 'Lauriacum-Hrornöwka', 'Mainz-Canterbury' variant type spathae.