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Lot 877

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Native American Silver Trade Cross

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RARE Extra-Large 9” North American Indian Colonial Silver Fur Trade Cross of the “Detroit - Montreal” Pattern (Circa 1750 - 1825) – Made with three arms, dating to the Mid-18th Century. There are eight well-formed bilobate “Acorn” finials, with the upright bar pierced with a “bleeding heart” and diamond designs similar to the “Montreal” style. There are narrow bands of wonderfully irregular "rocker" engraving along the outside edges and around the pierced designs, together with interspersed small, hand-punched circles. Also extremely unusual, is that it retains its original 23” hand-wrought silver neck chain. Found in Waco, TX. It is important to note is that it is not thick cast silver, but made from rolled thin sheet silver (another early colonial characteristic). If the smaller "rocker" engraving in the acorns was done with a wheel, then the cross would date to the latter end of the date range indicated above, but examination under a microscope it is so irregular that we tend to believe it was made with the old pre-wheel technique. Either way its survival with the original attached chain is extraordinary. Similar examples have been found from the East Coast of North America from New England to the Carolinas to Texas and California in the West. The “rocker” engraving and style of this Trade Cross is similar in many respects to those illustrated on Page 48, Et. Sequa. of Martha Hamilton’s SILVER IN THE FUR TRADE, 1680- 1820 and to several Plates in Lar Hothem’s INDIAN TRADE RELICS. This example is unmarked. Examination under the microscope shows it is untouched since colonial times. At 9”, it is one of the largest known. Ex collection E. Norman Flaydermann.br>Indian Trade Cross
Size: 12" x 9" (in case)
Weight: 4lbs 1oz (in case)
Size: 8.5" x 6"
Weight: 2.8oz
Condition: Very good noting some slight denting and bending to work.

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