Sword of Jacob Cabeljauw, anonymous, before 1573
In 1573 the town of Alkmaar was besieged by Spanish troops. The Dutch commander Cabeljauw led the forces that defeated this attack and forced the Spanish to retreat. He was promoted to military governor of Alkmaar and was probably presented with this sword as a token of honour. The text on the blade was presumably added in the 18th century to record the sword’s historical significance.