Rating and value of cinquedea swords and daggers

If you own a cinquedea sword, and would like to know its value, and if you don't know, the period and model of the weapon, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will offer you their appraisal services. Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your weapon, and provide you with a precise estimate of its value on today's market. Thereafter, if you wish to sell your item, we will direct you to the best possible device to obtain an optimal price.  

Quote and value of cinquedea swords  

Quintedea swords are among the most sought-after military collectibles on the auction market. However, price differences can be considerable, depending on model, engraving, state of preservation, who owned it, and other criteria. Nowadays, prices for these weapons can rise considerably under the auctioneer's hammer. Buyers from all over the world are interested in sales of certain rare pieces. The price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €340 to €44,000 at the moment, a considerable difference but one that says a lot about the value that can be attributed to cinquedea swords. In 2023, an exceptional cinquedea with an engraving attributed to Ercole dei Fedeli was sold for €44,000 by Auctie's. It was originally estimated at between €20,000 and €30,000. A look back at past auctions and more details on these weapons.

Order of value ranging from a simple weapon to the most prestigious

Fiftiedea swords, exceptional weapons 

Fiftiedea swords are antique weapons that are highly prized on the auction market. They are referred to as swords or daggers, as the blades are generally quite short. They are weapons of honor and decoration, and are therefore not used for combat. These objects appeared in northern Italy around 1460, and most of the cinquedea on the market date from the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Period pieces are the most sought-after, although there are also remanufactured pieces of lesser value. In the Renaissance, they were a testimony to social rank, as court sabers may have been in France.

Technique and characteristics of cinquedea swords

These weapons take the form of a dagger or a sword, depending on the length of the blade, which is between 20 and 50 centimeters. When the blade measures between 40 and 50 centimeters, it's called a sword, while a cinquedea measuring between 20 and 30 centimeters is called a dagger.

The blades are deliberately wide at the hilt (up to 10 centimeters), allowing for detailed and important stylistic work.

These weapons were engraved with etching, or decorated with gilding. A family coat of arms (Este family type) or the Vatican coat of arms may also be found.

An engraver, Ercole dei Fedeli, active in northern Italy during the period when cinquedea appeared, probably decorated many of these arms, with the most valuable attributed to him. He worked with antique inspiration, scrolls and medallion figures.

Historical background and success of the cinquedea

The cinquedea appeared for a purely social purpose, to show the power of Italy's noble families. They were a great success at the court of Mantua, as the engraver Fedeli was close to Isabella d'Este, considered the First Lady of the Renaissance. The d'Este family, less well known today, was as influential as the Medici.

The Pope offered cinquedea, as weapons of honor to influential princes, or various high-ranking nobles and churchmen who marked their times. They were extremely popular at the time, and are just as popular today. They are highly prized collector's items, rarely found on the auction market. Many of these weapons are held in major museums in Geneva, the Louvre and the MET Museum in New York.

Antiquarian subjects are very much in vogue today, almost as much as they were then. On the cinquedea sold by Auctie's, a record achieved in France for a sale of this type of weapon, we can see Minerva and Fama, goddesses of war and fame. The selection of subjects was also a way of showing the culture of those who may have owned these weapons of honor, and of slipping subliminal messages into them to figure their power through powerful mythological subjects.

Reasons to sell a cinquedea at auction  

If you own a cinquedea sword or dagger and don't know how to sell it, auctions are one solution. Indeed, collectors use this medium to find models that correspond to a particular battle or that belonged to their ancestors. Prices can thus reach unprecedented amounts.

The cinquedea obviously has a financial value on the art market, but it also has a historical value. These weapons bear witness to the various conflicts of their time and the power wielded by those who owned them. They also show how weapon design has evolved scientifically.

Knowing the value of a cinquedea  

If you happen to own a cinquedea, from any period, and would like to know its value, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal using our form on our website. A member of our team of experts and chartered auctioneers will contact you promptly with an estimate of your piece's market value, and will provide you with all the relevant information. If you wish to sell your property, you will also be accompanied by our specialists in order to benefit from alternatives to sell it at the best possible price, taking into account market inclinations.