Mark with Japanese Mark: 橘元貞 "Tachibana Motosada" | #458402

橘元貞 "Tachibana Motosada". This mark is from a tsuba and was made by Motosada, who worked as a sword engraver (soukenkinkou) in Hitachi Province (present-day Ibaraki Prefecture). Soukenkinkou is the Japanese name for metalworkers who design accessories for bladed weapons. A tsuba is a sword guard designed to protect the hand from contact with the blade. It also balances the weight of the sword.