Rare Rapière Ambidextre (pour Gaucher? ) Saxe XVIIème

Indeed, this is a very curious rapier.
If the general style denotes a strong influence of Spanish fahion, the differences are however notable:
The grip has steel ferrules cut into crenellations (they are without any decoration on the Spanish rapiers)
The strips of ray skin separated by ribbons of steel are exactly like what can be seen on the grips of 17th century Saxon daggers.
The blade absolutely does not have the morphology of the Spanish blades, and the multiple fullers are rather characteristic of the manufactures of Solingen.
At last, the guard is strictly symmetrical allowing a grip by the left hand without any difficulty. This is not the case for the guards of the Spanish rapiers called "boca de caballo" (= horse mouth)
 BLADE: it is a double-edged blade. Three fine and deep grooves go from the guard to the tip on each side are engraved inscriptions, a little clumsy. Outer face "X X X S X O X L X I X N X G X E X N X M X E X F X E X C X I X T X X X " (Solingen made me)
Inside face "X X X I . O . H . A . N . N . N . O . L . G . E . N . S X X X "

A Johann Nolgens is  listed in Solingen, active between 1624 and 1640, he is one of the three sons, (all sword makers) of Diederich Nolgens (active from 1610 to 1630).
It is difficult to comment on this signature, which is engraved a little imprecisely, but on the other hand the Nolgens family is not one of the big famous names of Solingen, so a somewhat clumsy engraving is possible.
Blade length 86 cm, width near guard 3 cm, thickness near guard 0.7 cm, balance point = 4 cm from guard shell
GUARD: This is a perfectly symmetrical double shell guard On each side is a hole for the strap, which is lined with a copper piece cut in the shape of a flower. The guard branch is solidly connected to the shell by double "pas d'âne" (rings for the fingers). This very robust assembly is unusual.
The quillons are straight, their end is slightly decorated as an inverted cone.
The side branch of the guard goes up to the level of the pommel.
POMMEL : Curious bi-conical shape with a groove at the junction of the 2 cones.
GRIP : It is a Saxon type rocket. The ferrules are made of iron, cut in the shape of a crenel. Four steel bands join these two ferrules and separate four parts covered with ray skin (also called "shagreen").
It is therefore a curious military rapier, with a very robust blade and mount, very probably a particular order from a left-handed person, because at that time discretion was required for left-handed people, who were not kindly seen by the Church, just like the redhaired men (in memory of Judas the Iscariot).
Discretion was therefore essential at the level of weapons worn in full view, which should not make  possible to identify the particularity of their owner at first glance.
This unusual sword has a nice homogeneous patina.
This is not the only case of swords in the Spanish style made and worn in Germanic regions. This type of mount was in vogue across the Rhine in the 17th century, no doubt in connection with the clashes between the Imperials and the soldiers of the Spanish Tercios in Flanders ("80 years" war 1568-1648).
Object collected in East Prussia, Allenstein region, according to information given by the previous owner
Ref X2242