December 14-17, 2021 Collectible Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/14/2021
Once deemed the "rarest type of naval boarding pikes" this example of a boarding Pike, is the so-called "quarter pike". These pikes first appeared on a 1797 dated document of ordnance allowance which described "100 boarding or quarter pikes" for the USS Constitution. These pikes appear again on pages 143-144 of the book "American Polearms, 1526-1865" by H. Rodney Brown as well as a pictorial appearance in a lithograph that was featured in Maclay's "Naval History of the United States Navy (1898). There has been much dispute over the authenticity of these quarter pikes, but it is now known that these polearms were fabricated in the twentieth century and their appearance was based on 18th century records. Although the USS Constitution was outfitted with 100 boarding pikes including these so called quarter pikes, none are known to have survived. These quarter pikes were made famous in the 1920s when the USS Constitution was being restored. Although the exact representation of the quarter pike is conjectural, these pikes still reflect the appearance of eighteenth century short boarding pike. This example features a flat double edged blade that measures approximately 8 - 1/4" with an iron ferrule. The blade is secured to the wood shaft that measures 28 - 1/2" inches long by 2 iron languets which are fastened to the shaft by screws. The screws have all been filed down and are hard to see. The blade is marked with the inventory number "420" above the initials "JKL" denoting that this piece is from the John K. Lattimer collection. CONDITION: The blade and iron components exhibit an attractive gray patina with scattered pitting throughout. There are file marks on the languets. Overall good. Despite their controversial history, these pikes still hold value and have been adopted as collectible polearms. JLD
Item Dimensions: 37"