The sable de mando is the distinguished saber wielded by the commanding general of an army. This piece was forged in the esteemed city of Toledo, Spain in 1869, coincidentally the birth year of its eventual owner.
While retreating from the forces of General Emilio Aguinaldo during the Battle of Imus in 1896, General Ernesto de Aguirre of the Spanish army inadvertently lost this sword. Seizing the opportunity, Aguinaldo claimed it and made it his personal sable de mando. He even had a foundry in Kawit add symbols of the Revolution and First Republic in 1899.