Free magical weapons in Balmora?

[Bryan]

In two previous playthroughs I found both a magical longsword and a magical axe while searching the boxes/baskets lining the streets but I can't find either one now. Will someone please tell me where they are? I could use one and sell the other for a huge pile of money.

[Valden21]

I hate to say it, but there's neither a magical longsword nor a magical axe to be found just lying in the boxes or baskets in the Balmora streets. The closest thing to that is the Sword of White Woe, which is a magical Ebony Broadsword, and that's in one of the guard towers. I think the most likely explanation is that sometime in the early stages of these previous playthroughs, you dropped off a magical axe and a magical longsword in these boxes and then forgot about doing so, so it was a surprise upon finding them again.

[Turtleswatter]

It is possible, exceptionally, for enchanted items to spawn in crates in Morrowind. Here is the list; chances and level you would expect them.

https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Leveled_Lists

But for you to have both an axe and a longsword in two playthroughs is exceptional luck considering I've looted Balmora for ages and got very poor stuff.

Remember the happy times and now join the rest of us poor saps :D

[Lobo de hielo]

Are you sure you are not thinking of Seyda Neen. Axe in tree stump, sword from the falling wizard.
Next sword is the Sword of White Woe in Balmoral watchtower.

[grundy.angry]

Random chances.