December 17, 2026 The Estate Of Whitefoord Cole II: Firearms & Militaria
The live portion of this session begins on Thursday, December 17, 2026.
Lot #1469:
EARLY GERMANIC STYLE BOWIE KNIFE INSCRIBED “FREDERICK SELOUS”
Fine early Bowie with an unusual shaped 8 - 1/8" double edged blade with double fullers & fluted ricasso. Blade appears to have been repolished. S-shaped handguard with teardrop quillons and a pierced square through top side for latch from sheath. Hidden tang construction with stag grip that remains sound with a nice patina. Iron ferrule and pommel with dark patina. Accompanied by its original oil cloth wrapped wood scabbard with steel mounts. Throat with a spring latch. Interior of throat is brass lined. Oil cloth cover has minor loss and mounts exhibit matching patina to handle fittings. Obverse throat is inscribed in electric pencil “Frederick Selous”, who was one of, if not the most famous of all African explorers and big game hunters. He was born in 1851 and educated in England and Germany and traveled to Africa at age 19. He then traveled from the Cape of Good Hope to Matebeleland in early 1872 where he was granted hunting rights for the entire domain of King Lobengula. He hunted there many years taking untold numbers of elephant & other game. He later helped settle and form the country of Rhodesia now known as Zimbabwe. He fought in the first Matebele War in 1893 and later in the 2nd Matebele War. In the late 1890s he married and settled in England. When WWI broke out at age 64, he returned to East Africa as Captain of the 25th Battallion Royal Fusiliers. In 1916 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and was killed by a German sniper in January 1917 ending the life of one of the greatest explorers and hunters the world has ever known. PROVENANCE: Dr. Frank Miller Estate Collection. CONDITION: Good.