Rare Style!

Right before I left on vacation last week, we got a box of relics in for auction from a long-time collector in Florida.  Included was this axe from the Fred Macy collection.  Fred Macy took a trip in 1885 from New York to the Dakota territory, and collected some great relics along the way. This axe perplexed me a bit, as the style and thinness is atypical for a midwestern full groove, and the material and surface sheen (while beautiful) is not what I am used to seeing.  The use damage to the bit and use wear pattern all looked correct, but it did have me scratching my head a bit.

SO… I put it in a box and shipped it off to Maury Meadows at Hardstone House Authentication in Missouri to get his thoughts on it as I consider him one of the most knowledgeable on ancient stone tools in the Country. After returning from my trip, the axe was back with his COA, and I rang him up and we chatted about it. From what he tells me, it is a very rare style Archaic axe form made from green Diorite with a limited distribution area in and around South Dakota. This fits in with the tag associating it with the Macy trip in 1885 to that region. Maury said the surface had been cleaned and oiled up, which is why it had the strange sheen appearance.

I am excited to have this in the October 3rd relic auction as it will make a nice addition to someone’s collection.  That’s my relic tidbit for today – have a great day all!

Jim Bennett