18th Century Powder Horns and An 1812 Silver Hull Presentation Medal Headline Bruneau & Co. Auction

2024-04-24 02:11:50 Business

1084

Cranston, RI, USA, November 30, 2021 -- Two powder horns dating to the American Revolution and earlier sold for a combined $66,420 and a silver Captain Isaac Hull presentation medal from 1812 knocked down for $40,590 in Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers? fall Historic Arms & Militaria auction held on November 20th, online and live in the Cranston gallery located at 63 Fourth Avenue.

It was just the second such auction conducted by Bruneau & Co.?s newly formed Arms & Militaria department, headed up by director Joel Bohy. ?It was great to see so many faces in the gallery and the bidding was active and lively,? Mr. Bohy said. ?We sold some wonderful historic items which did very well. After researching them it was nice to see them go off to new homes.?

The sale was packed with over 500 items focusing on the French & Indian War, American Revolution, Civil War, World Wars I and II and modern firearms. ?It was a fantastic sale with strong results,? said Bruneau & Col president Kevin Bruneau. ?I was happy that the Hull medal found a home at a New England institution where patrons can enjoy it for years to come.?

He was referring to lot 75: a circa 1812 silver medal presented by the US Congress to Lt. Alexander Scammel Wadsworth, for gallantry in the naval battle USS Constitution vs. HMS Guerriere. The obverse depicted Captain Isaac Hull, who received a gold version of the medal that is now in the collection of the Constitution Museum. The reverse depicted the naval battle.

Alexander Scammel Wadsworth was the son of Revolutionary War General Peleg Wadsworth. Born in 1790 in Portland, Maine, he became a midshipman on April 2, 1804, and a lieutenant on April 21, 1810. He went on to have a distinguished naval career and died on April 5, 1851. He was also the uncle of author Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The sale?s top lot was a Rev War powder horn from 1775, carved near the base, ?The Royal Artillery? and owned by Siege of Boston minute man Thomas Smith ($44,280). The horn was marked, ?Thomas Smith, His Horne Made at Brookline Fort August XV: MDCC: LXXV 1775? and had carvings of a hunter firing his musket and other scenes.

Thomas Smith was born in Rowley, Mass., in 1748. In April 1775 he marched to Boston with Captain Thomas Mighill's company of minute men and enlisted in Colonel Samuel Gerrish's regiment. He was stationed at Sewall's Point in Brookline, the site of Brookline Fort where the horn was made. His enlistment ended and he returned home in December.

The other powder horn that piqued bidder interest was even older, a circa 1746 example identified to Moses Brewer, who was just 18 and serving in the Provincial militia around the time the horn was carved and marked. He later served as a captain in the French & Indian War, one of Rogers? Rangers. The 9-inch-long powder horn went for $22,140.

Following are additional highlights from the auction. Internet bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, Bidsquare.com, bidLIVE.Bruneauandco.com and the mobile app ?Bruneau & Co.? on iTunes or GooglePlay. Prices include the buyer?s premium.

?We've got some amazing items coming in for the next Historic Arms & Militaria auction,? Mr. Bohy said. ?We're looking forward to presenting them in the spring? (date yet to be determined). To learn more about Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers, visit www.bruneauandco.com. Updates are posted frequently.