Very Rare – Early French Trade Axe with touch-mark, ca. 1570 - 1670, recovered at Fort Haldimand, NY (ON HOLD,M)

This is a very unique piece coming out of a 60-year collection of French & Indian War/Revolutionary War artifacts. Being offered is an original French Trade Axe, circa 1570 – 1670. It measures 8 ¼” x 4” x 1 ½” and has the French touch-mark of a cross within a circle – added when manufactured.  It weighs 2-pounds, 8-ounces. The letter “H” stands for Ft. Haldimand. It was recovered many years ago at Fort Haldimand, NY.

Located near the head of Carleton Island, Fort Haldimand was built in 1777 as a staging area for the British during the American Revolution. Molly Brant, a Mohawk leader who worked to keep the Iroquois Confederacy loyal to the British during the war, lived at Fort Haldimand for a time.

While trade axes have been found at Northeast archeological sites, it is still an extremely rare find.  This particular touchmark is attributed to French manufacture and is found most often in association with Oneida tribe sites. The Oneida are one of the Six Nations Iroquois (Haudenosaunee), and the only one that openly declared its support for the American Revolution.

The earliest example was found at a site dating from around the 1570s and the latest in the 1670s.  While a century range may seem broad, it still indicates that this piece is at minimum 350 years old and without a doubt predates European settlement of the area by a hundred years.

These French Axes were among the first trade axes to be given to the Native Americans by French fur traders in exchange for furs, cooking utensils, animal skins, etc.  As expected because of its age, the axe has overall surface rust but very stable and no chipping or flaking.

This collection began in the late 1950s and was created by private acquisitions, closed museums, diggers, and from lake divers. The collector meticulously displayed and cataloged every piece along with its provenance. His markings were crude at the time, but now they have proved to be very important. Many of the pieces went through electrolysis to remove crusted rust.

This is the first time these relic has been on the open market, and it truly is a great piece of early American History. This was the earliest piece in this massive collection. It definitely merits a place in an advanced collection or museum. As with all the pieces in this esteemed collection, a Certificate of Authenticity will be included.