River Witham Sword

The River Witham Sword was dredged from the River Witham near the town of Lincoln, England during work carried out in 1788. The sword may be a remnant of the Battle of Lincoln in 1141, but it is more likely that it was made between 1250-1300 CE.

The inscription on the blade reads: +NDXOXCHMDRCHDXORVI+ however it’s not clear what the inscription means. Maybe it’s an abbreviation, code or simply just patterning in the shape of letters to make the sword look better and more expensive. This inscription is possibly an acronym written in Latin but it has not been definitely deciphered. In 2015 British Library reached out to public trying to crowdsource a solution to this medieval puzzle. One compelling solution has been proposed by Stieg Hedlund and it reads in English

In the Name of the Lord; of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost
Count of Holland Willem by the grace of God, King of Germany and Hainault by the will of God
Christ reigns! Christ conquers! Christ commands!

This sword is crafted in much the same way as swords were made centuries ago, except now the blade is forged from high-carbon spring steel (AISI 1566) making the blade tougher compared to the originals. The blade finish is semi-matte (not polished to sheen), replicating what medieval swordsmiths were able to achieve.

Grip is leather covered hardwood. The tang goes through the whole handle and pommel and is peened at the end pommel. This sword is shipped sharp, so it can be used for cutting practices in addition to history reenactment and being a functional decoration piece. Includes a leather covered wooden scabbard with steel fittings and belt rings for hanging.