May 18, 2021 Early Arms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/18/2021
Lot consists of: (A) British Light Infantry issue axe dug by Frank Kravic marked "CP. 132". One of several axes dug at Crown Point (1757 siege), north side near the water; the old marking is almost worn off near the new marking. Pictured in Neumann's "Collector's Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution", page 25, third row down, No. 6, far left axe; bottom of photo at blade edge has been cropped showing it smaller than it really is. Unit marked "27/4/13" and still has wood of the haft in the eye. This is the only unit marked axe of the group. This is possibly the only unit marked Light Infantry axe recovered and confirms the style adopted for the Light Infantry use in the French & Indian War. A hand-forged copy of the axe is included to show how it looked originally. The markings are for the 4th Battalion of the 27th Infantry Regiment, personal soldier axe No. 13, who were at Crown Point until 1761. Very rare axe, only an electrolysis bath brought out the markings. (B) Tomahawk, 4" x 2 1/4". Oval poll (belt axe) with semi-flat head. American made. This pattern includes flat front profile and rear profile indentation with large eye. Small heads were popular in the mid-18th century. (C) British Light Infantry issue axe. c.1757-1761. Dug by Frank Kravic, marked "F.TI. 50" for Fort Ticonderoga. This axe is pictured "Collector's Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution", Neumann, page 25, third row down, No. 6, second from left. The verbiage is wrong in the description and although it is an issue Light Infantry, we cannot tell if it has markings without putting it in an electrolysis bath. (D) Axe, belt. French and Indian War, British Light Infantry style. c. 1757-1761. One of two dug by Kravic at Crown Point along with a unit marked axe. Pictured in "Collector's Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution", page 25, row 6, third from left. "CP-64" was Kravic's case for the French village, main part, south end. Note chip in rear blade corner of this axe in the picture. Neumann described them as marked by we can see no trace of markings. The only way to be sure is to put it in an electrolysis bath. (E + F + G) Three square poll axes; all dug by Kravic and marked by him. c. 1700-1780. Axe (E) from Fort Ticonderoga, about 4 1/2" x 2 3/4". Teardrop eye, rounded right ear, with faint maker mark. Axe (F) from Fort Ticonderoga, about 5" x 3". Teardrop eye with rounded rear ear and faint maker mark. Axe (G) from Mount Independence site, about 4" x 2 1/2". Teardrop eye with rounded rear ear and faint maker mark. Mount Independence was an American camp. All axes seem to have the same maker mark in a long rectangle and of the same style. Dug, untouched condition. Axe (G) is identical to the one pictured in "Swords and Blade of the American Revolution", Neumann, page 264, 25A. He identifies the maker as Watkins. Since all three have the same rectangular mark, we believe all three were made by that maker. Axe (G) has an additional tag along with other info on box, which was removed and copied. See "American Indian Tomahawks", Peterson, page 89, figures 35-37 for more of this style. DRG