Serial number & signature on Roman weapons

[lisa]

If you want to see pictures and read about the types of things that do appear to be makers marks/symbols on Roman swords, I recommend these articles:

Ulla Rald, "The Roman swords from Danish bog finds" in the Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies 5 (1994): 227-41.

and

Marcin Biborski, "Römische Schwerter im Gebiet des europäischen Barbaricum" in the same journal and volume: 169-97 (even if your German is no good, there are lots of great illustrations).