November 17, 2020 Early Arms & Militaria: Age of Exploration, Empire & Revolution
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/17/2020
1) An exceedingly rare example of a Model 1797 Boarding Pike of the early United States Navy. The massive, forged pike head is 25-3/8" long inclusive of langets or side-straps, while the leaf-shaped blade is 13-1/4" long and 2-3/8" wide across the widest point. The spear blade is diamond-shaped in profile, while its socket base is 1-3/8" diameter at the beginning of the langets, which are 8-1/2" long and attached to the shaft by three rivets down their length. The wooden shaft is 1-1/2" diameter and the pike is 95-1/2" long overall. This particular example is said to have been one removed from the US Frigate “Constitution” during her refitting following the victory against HMS “Guerriere” on 19 August 1812. There is an old paper label, approximately 4-1/2" x 2" (with some edge losses over time), glued to the shaft midway down inscribed in black ink, “BOARDIN[G] / PIKE From ‘OLD’ / ‘[I]RONSID[ES’] / The / FRIGATE / [CO]NSTITUTIO[N]” (now-missing letters within brackets). Two other M1797 boarding pikes with the same attribution have been in the famous Williams Family Arms Collection for nearly 100 years and are illustrated on p. 115 of R. H.,Brown’s work, “American Polearms, 1526-1865 (New Milford, CT: Norm Flayderman & Co., 1967). [with] 2) A desk ornament or paperweight made from pieces "taken from the original hull of the USS Constitution" when restored in 1927, the base a piece of oak frame the ship's framing, with copper trim pieces cut from the hull's sheathing and a section of an iron spike from the infrastructure. 2 items. PROVENANCE: The Dr. John Lattimer Family Collection to present. CONDITION: The head of the pike shows evidence of past aggressive cleaning, probably from the use of naval jelly, judging by the form of the pitting and the finish of the metal on portions devoid of pitting; much of the blade is covered with a light surface rust at present. There is some damage and minor loss to the shaft in the areas in which the head and langets were inlet during attachment; elsewhere very good. JLK
Item Dimensions: 95 - 1/2"