Introduction: Ask any collector, and they will tell you that the holy grail of medieval swords is from the Castillon group, which was discovered in a French river on a barge in 1973.

Discussion:  The last battle of the Hundred Years’ War was fought on July of 1453. The English commander John Talbot (Earl of Shrewsbury) led his men on a frontal assault of the French lines that resulted in Talbot and most of his six thousand men being killed by heavy artillery fire, followed by a strong French attack that decimated what was left of the English. While the English were retreating, an estimated 100 swords were placed on a barge, which its believed the French set on fire while it crossed the Dordogne River.

The combination of fire, ash, and the soft bottom of the river preserved the swords in exceptionally good and unique condition. Swords from this group show a fine, overall dark goethite patina typical of that found on weapons recovered from water-laid deposits.

The battle, which cost the celebrated English commander John Talbot his life, was the last of the Hundred Years’ War. The swords are assumed to have been lost by the fleeing English army. Swords from this group were found initially sporadically in small numbers at the end of the 19th/ beginning of the 20th century. An example of an unquestionable Castillon character can be seen in Laking, Volume I (page 163). However, the main hoard was not found until many years later.

The main Castillon hoard was discovered in 1973 but only came to the general attention of collectors after April 26, 1977, when the Parisian dealer Sidou put a group of six into auction at Christie’s, Geneva. Of the eighty or so swords known to form part of the Castillon group, only a very few are of true two-hand proportions.

It may be significant that the Castillon swords show a fairly limited range of designs. Some have straight, tapering quillons with downturned terminals. These appear in all cases to be equipped with beveled disk or wheel pommels. Others have more or less straight, slightly worn quillons with baluster terminals and are typically equipped with either fishtailed or faceted pear-shaped pommels.

 Such uniformity of design suggests that the swords were made in a relatively brief period, most likely the decade or two immediately preceding their loss.

Description: The example under discussion is constructed with a two-edge broad blade of stiff lozenge-shaped cross-section with a strong medial ridge that tapers nearly uniformly to an acute point with a bladesmith’s mark at the upper tang. It is fitted with a pommel Type J. Its quillons are Type 8. The sword is of a form classified by Oakeshott in 1964, based on the shape and proportions of its blade, as a Type XV and again in 1991 in Records of the Medieval Sword.

Condition: Very good, recently cleaned and conserved to museum standards. However, no resin or filler was added. This is exactly how the sword was found.

Approximate Dimensions: Total length: 34.5 inches; blade length: 28 inches; widest blade width: 2 inches.

Nationality/Maker: The possibility remains strong that the entire Castillion group was made in Germany. Date of manufacture: 1420-1450.

Conclusion: A Castillon sword has everything a true collector would want. Condition, exceptional construction, and a legendary provenance. Those of you who follow the European auctions have seen that in the last 6 months, four examples have sold for. Here is a chance to own one for a fraction of its true value. ACT NOW: this one should sell quickly! Don’t let this opportunity pass you by!!!*