Rare Sarmatian / Roman Ring-Pommeled Iron Short Sword

Central/Eastern Europe, Black Sea region, Sarmatians or other nomadic tribes of the region (Sargat, Sauromatian, Saka, or Scythian), ca. 100 to 200 CE. A beautifully preserved short sword with a ring pommel of the style introduced by the Sarmatians and Germans to the Roman legions, and used by Roman infantry in the 2nd century CE. It features a relatively short, tapering blade, a flat tang terminating in an ovoid ring, and a separately cast guard that fits neatly around the base of the tang. A low ridge runs down the center and both sides of the blade would have been sharpened (and indeed still are a bit sharp!). This example probably belonged to a Roman legion member rather than a Sarmatian due to its relatively short tang length; Sarmatians often had longer tangs to accommodate decorative elements. Size: 1.95" W x 18.95" H (5 cm x 48.1 cm)

See a near identical example in "Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Soldier: From Marius to Commodus, 112 BC–AD 192 " by Graham Summer, Raffaele D'Amato, 2009, pg. 88, fig. 81.

Provenance: private Pembroke Pines, Florida, USA collection, acquired prior to 2005

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#153313
Condition Report: Patina has been slightly cleaned, though much of it remains in the lower profile areas. Form is nicely preserved with a few small losses along the edges of the blade.