Santa Ana period. Iron with triple bar guard and piped back blade in the British style. The grip and ferrule perished. The blade cut to 22 ½” and blunted, for agricultural use. Collected by Bob Sands in North Mexico in the 1970s and displaying unmistakable age characteristics of those finds. The blade appears to be European or English and the hilt produced in Mexico as was typical for the period which ended with the overthrow of the Santa Ana Government following the 1846 loss to America. The turmoil continued into 1861 when the French, depending on American distraction by the Civil War, invaded, ostensibly to collect defaulted debt from the Juarez government, but in fact to install a puppet government. They were unsuccessful, and defeated at the Battle of Puebla, May 5 1862 which is commemorated as Cinco de Mayo. Historic.
