[MR] History Blog: Smith’s Name Found on 16th C. Sword

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends, Especially Rapier Fighters,

Today's History Blog story is about a 16th century sword from Jena in
Germany.

The sword is one of four that were recovered from the ruins of the
Collegiate Church in Jena after it was bombed to rubble by the Allies
during WWII. The swords had been buried with their noble owners in crypts
beneath the church from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

Using modern X-ray tomography, researchers were able to see through the
sword's thick corrosion and encasing sheath to create an image of the
original blade beneath. The scan revealed the letters "CLEMES STAM" inset
into the blade using thin copper. The inscription is  the name of a known
late 16th century swordsmith who crafted the weapon in Solingen, Germany, a
city renowned for its fine blades.

The illustrated story is found at
https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/74576 .

The Collegiate Church in Jena is not included on the English-language
Wikipedia, though it is found on the German version:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collegium_Jenense . A fine engraving of the
church is at
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Collegium_Jenense_1661.png .

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Continuing a crusade to keep the original Merry Rose relevant and in
business.