Circa 1400 River Find Knightly Sword Oakeshott Type XVIII

~ Circa 1400 River Find Knightly Sword Oakeshott Type XVIII ~

It was a river find piece from the River Dordogne, Castillon-la-Bataille. It was discovered by Hamilton White of the TV programme Knights Templar and was one of the hundred or so swords recovered from a dredged, sunken barge.

~ Battle of Castillon ~

The Battle of Castillon between the forces of England and France took place on 17 July 1453 in Gascony near the town of Castillon-sur-Dordogne (later Castillon-la-Bataille). Historians regard this decisive French victory as marking the end of the Hundred Years' War.

On the day of the battle, the English commander, John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, believing that the enemy was retreating, led his army in an attack on a fortified French encampment without waiting for reinforcements. Talbot then refused to withdraw even after realizing the strength of the French position, causing his men to suffer severe casualties from the French artillery. Castillon was a major European battle won through the extensive use of field artillery.

The battle led to the English losing almost all their holdings in France, especially Gascony (Aquitaine), an English possession for the previous three centuries. The balance of power in Europe shifted, and political instability ensued in England.

~ Condition ~

The sword is in typical river find condition with pitting, no wooden grip, edge loss and it is missing the very end of its tip.

~ Dimensions ~

The sword is 105 cm (41.5 inches) in total length with a 85 cm (33 inches) blade.

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