My first Trade Axe and my oldest large cent.

[hunting deer]

Hey guys, I'm posting this here because it looks like the real deal to me. Albeit damaged. I always wanted to find a trade axe. It only took me a hundred or so axe heads to get there. I've been working this new spot I located by overlaying old maps. Anyway it was my third time there and I pulled a large cent. I didn't know it was an 1818 at the time because I don't rub coins in the field. That turned out to be the oldest large cent with a readable date I've ever found. Pretty stoked about that to say the least. I worked on it with my andre pencils after I got home. Which I highly recommend by the way. Anyway, the very next signal I knew was iron but I decided to pull it anyway. Gotta see what's in the ground! As soon as I saw it I mumbled out loud, "trade axe?" It took a bad hit at some point in the past but it doesn't matter cause its a trade axe. Right? Ha! I got several more buttons. One looks silver plated with my favorite word on there, "London." Also one looks to be an early pewter button. I know they had trade axes and belt axes and different types. Any insight are welcome. I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! Good Hunting!

 

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[tamrock]

Nice axe find. I wonder if that offset was a design done to square timbers.

 

[dognose]

Very nice, and impressive finds for Indiana.
What shape is the eye?
Congratulations on such nice finds.

 

[pepperj]

Congratulations on the axe!

No scale measurements (Except hand) So is it 5" in length
Do you see any sign of a touch mark?
Liking the design shape.
So what is the category of the axe
If the eye is round then it might fall under pole axe, given its size, belt, age colonial, trade?
If was sold then not-traded technically yes. Something that won't be known for sure.
Some good reading in this link and photos

Trade axe/tomahawk NE America 18th c. - Ethnographic Arms & Armour

Trade axe/tomahawk NE America 18th c. European Armoury

www.vikingsword.com

 

[hunting deer]

Very nice, and impressive finds for Indiana.
What shape is the eye?
Congratulations on such nice finds.

Thanks! I've been gone all day. Horrible! Almost like someone tried to use it to split a log.

 

[hunting deer]

Congratulations on the axe!

No scale measurements (Except hand) So is it 5" in length
Do you see any sign of a touch mark?
Liking the design shape.
So what is the category of the axe
If the eye is round then it might fall under pole axe, given its size, belt, age colonial, trade?
If was sold then not-traded technically yes. Something that won't be known for sure.
Some good reading in this link and photos

Trade axe/tomahawk NE America 18th c. - Ethnographic Arms & Armour

Trade axe/tomahawk NE America 18th c. European Armoury

www.vikingsword.com

Thanks! It probably would've made 5" if the loop wasn't smashed. I was getting around to posting that pic, lol. It just looked soooo good from the side. I wondered if I could take it to a blacksmith and have him reshape the loop without destroying it.

 

[hunting deer]

Nice axe find. I wonder if that offset was a design done to square timbers.

Thanks! Not sure.

 

[hunting deer]

Thanks for all the replies! I originally posted it as damaged. I just left out a pic that showed the damage. I swear!

 

[ArfieBoy]

Great finds! Congratulations! Maybe the axe head was used as a splitting wedge and didn't hold up. Who will ever know for sure?

 

[ARC]

Stellar head you've found...
This is a very early "belt axe" / "splint hatchet" / "trade axe" and even called a belt tomahawk in some circles.
Excellent find... super well done.

Might want to think of setting up an electrolysis tank for that puppy... might be able to redeem a touch mark if any.

 

[hunting deer]

Great finds! Congratulations! Maybe the axe head was used as a splitting wedge and didn't hold up. Who will ever know for sure?

Thanks! That's what I imagined someone might have done as well. Grab whatever is handy at the time to get the job done and then whoops!

 

[hunting deer]

Wow... stellar head you've found.

This is a very early "belt axe" / "splint hatchet" / "trade axe" and even called a belt tomahawk in some circles.

Excellent find... super well done.

Might want to think of setting up an electrolysis tank for that puppy... might be able to redeem a touch mark if any.

Thanks! I've never set up a tank before. That would be a good New Year's resolution. I've been saving axe heads for years and various other iron finds. I figured I'd sort'em out someday for a display. I've been looking for any faint marks on it!

 

[pepperj]

Thanks! It probably would've made 5" if the loop wasn't smashed. I was getting around to posting that pic, lol. It just looked soooo good from the side. I wondered if I could take it to a blacksmith and have him reshape the loop without destroying it.

Wrought iron is sought after in blacksmithing. I had one that I drop off the R/R iron, and heavy farm steel I dug for him to do his artistry with. I forget what he said the old didn't have in it that newer iron did. (besides all the impurities)
But a good blacksmith should be able to put that on the forge then on horn and tap it back out into shape.

 

[tamrock]

Thanks! Not sure.

Oh, Now I see what I thought was offset. It appears it got mangled at some point in time. Pretty neat artifact.

 

[hunting deer]

Oh, Now I see what I thought was offset. It appears it got mangled at some point in time. Pretty neat artifact.

Thanks!! Yeah it did!

 

[hunting deer]

Wrought iron is sought after in blacksmithing. I had one that I drop off the R/R iron, and heavy farm steel I dug for him to do his artistry with. I forget what he said the old didn't have in it that newer iron did. (besides all the impurities)
But a good blacksmith should be able to put that on the forge then on horn and tap it back out into shape.

That's what I was thinking too! I'm gonna do some checking around. I would think a good blacksmith would be able to tell if it would crumble. Worth checking into anyway. I'd like to "bring it back to life." If he could, I think I'd research what the handle should look like and give it a new one.

 

[glass half fool]

A dozen or so items you found that day The axe is super cool And a 1818 large cent Add the other items and you have a really good day .

 

[scruggs]

Love that axe its a beauty!

 

[hunting deer]

Love that axe its a beauty!

Thanks! I've always liked axes and hatchets even before I started detecting. I found many in 12 years of detecting and kept them all unless they were broken. I've got axe and hatchet heads in my house, under my house, in my sheds and alot are in an old truck box in the yard. It looks like a trade axe to me and possibly an early one. I'm humbled and thankful to have found one!

 

[Gare]

v ABSOLUTELY GREAT FINDS