A Sword of Justice, or executioner's sword, was used by trained executioners for carrying out capital punishment in many cultures. Given their special 'ceremonial' purpose, they were usually very well-made of the highest quality metal and were extremely sharp. Though otherwise unadorned, many were engraved with simple prayers akin to last rites, asking mercy for both the executioner and the soul of the accused. In their purest form in medieval Europe, they were only used for capital punishment, and only touched and maintained by sanctioned executioners. Sword execution, while not common, is still an accepted form of capital punishment by some modern cultures like Saudi Arabia.
Swords of execution were specifically designed for the purpose of severing the head of an unresisting victim as quickly as possible. To this end, they were often considerably different from conventional swords intended for combat or training; European examples often had a blunt end and ~100 cm long blade ~5 cm in width. Sometimes they would be inscribed with an appropriate motto; a German example reads "Whenever I raise the sword I wish the sinner everlasting life."[1]