Extremely Rare 14th Century Gifu/Seki stamped blade - Translation Please!!!

[Bruce Pennington]

Listed for auction Lot 1295: 14TH C. Japanese KATANA SWORD BLADE IN WWII METAL SCABBARD.

 

Now I'll have to revise my Stamps Doc because this is the earliest known use of the small Seki and Gifu stamps!!! HA!

 

Ok, joke over, but I would like to get this name.  I THINK it's Munechika, but I'm usually wrong  (the date is actually Sep '44):

 

[Ray Singer]

Yoshichika, September 1944

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks Ray!

 

Safe to assume it's this "Yoshi"? - 吉近

[DTM72]

On 1/29/2024 at 1:33 PM, Bruce Pennington said:

Thanks Ray!

 

Safe to assume it's this "Yoshi"? - 吉近

I would say yes. Yoshichika from September 1344 <--

 

[Kiipu]

Dan-The-Man is overlooking the obvious blade damage that occurred during the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600!  FYI, that is not rust, but blood stains.  No doubt about it, extremely rare and priceless.

 

Even Markus Sesko is in agreement.

YOSHICHIKA (吉近), Shōō (正応, 1288-1293), Bizen – “Yoshichika” (吉近), Ko-Bizen school, jō-saku

[Bruce Pennington]

Ah, Thomas at his best!!! Love it! Ha!

 

Seriously, though, this all means that the date was faked on this ancient blade to cash in on gullible WWII collectors.