My first Trade Axe and my oldest large cent.

hunting deer

Hero Member
Jul 21, 2010
540
1,230
Indiana
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Max
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
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. :laughing7: 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. :nono: 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!
20231123_214410.jpg
20231123_214424.jpg
20231123_215410.jpg
20231123_213915.jpg
20231123_214824.jpg
20231124_063552.jpg
20231124_063610.jpg
20231124_081030.jpg
20231124_063703.jpg
20231124_063710.jpg
20231124_063642.jpg
20231124_063626.jpg
20231124_081118.jpg
20231124_081108.jpg
20231124_081048.jpg
20231122_193108 (2).jpg
 

Upvote 29
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
 

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. :dontknow:
 

Attachments

  • 20231124_185748.jpg
    20231124_185748.jpg
    1.1 MB · Views: 17
  • 20231124_185735.jpg
    20231124_185735.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 18
Last edited:
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
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. :laughing7: I wondered if I could take it to a blacksmith and have him reshape the loop without destroying it.
 

Attachments

  • 20231124_190940.jpg
    20231124_190940.jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 17
  • 20231124_191042.jpg
    20231124_191042.jpg
    1.4 MB · Views: 19
  • 20231124_185748.jpg
    20231124_185748.jpg
    1.1 MB · Views: 18
Last edited:
Thanks for all the replies! I originally posted it as damaged. I just left out a pic that showed the damage. I swear!
 

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.
 

Last edited:
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!
 

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!
 

Last edited:
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. :laughing7: 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.
 

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.
 

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!
 

Last edited:
v ABSOLUTELY GREAT FINDS :)
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top