Misericorde Spanish Dagger, Circa 1520

Title

Misericorde Spanish Dagger, Circa 1520

Subject

Antique weapons; Misericorde dagger; Archaeology

Description

This dagger was unearthed near Tampa Bay in the early 1960s. The 11 3/4 inch needle-point blade has a hollow ground cross-section. The crossguard with its triangular-shaped quillons and the pommel are both decorated with deep accent grooves. Long narrow daggers like this one are designed for thrusting, piercing, and stabbing. The thin sharp point can fit through gaps in armor and penetrate leather or heavy fabric. This style of dagger was often used to deliver the death blow to a seriously wounded adversary, hence the name misericordia which is Latin for 'mercy'.

Creator

Unknown craftsperson, Spanish

Source

American Digger Magazine, Nov-Dec 2006

Publisher

weaponscollector.com

Date

circa 1520

Contributor

Frederick Eugene Williams III (known as Jack Williams), Collector

Rights

© weaponscollector.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). Attribution required: "From the F.E. Williams III Collection at weaponscollector.com

Relation

The F.E. Williams III Collection of Antique Firearms

Format

image/jpeg

Language

United States English

Type

Still Images; Artifact Documentation

Identifier

111-0054

Coverage

Temporal: 16th Century
Spatial: Tampa Bay, United States

Bladed Weapon Style

Quillon

Blade Style

Needlepoint

Overall Length

16 3/8 inches

Overall Width

2 3/8 inches

Hilt Length

4 5/8 inches

Blade Material

Iron

Blade Length

11 3/4 inches

Weight

8 1/8 ounces

Condition

Excavated Relic