BLADE Magazine

Roosevelt Knife Auction Sept. 9-11

The pommel of the Roosevelt knife is carved in the shape of an eagle’s head of solid gold. The eagle’s eyes are garnets.
The blade has the engraved inscription, “Presented to Theodore Roosevelt By His Friend James W. Gerard.” Two bear heads serve as the guard’s quillons.
Roosevelt circa Oct. 1910.
Theodore Roosevelt in October 1910.

President Theodore Roosevelt’s knife, passed down through the Roosevelt family for the past 107 years and never before available for sale to the public, will be put to auction Sept. 9-11 by Rock Island Auction Co.

On one side of the handle is a forest scene with two men crouching behind a tree, one standing with rifle in hand, the other crouching.

Made by J. Russell & Co. of Green River, New York, the Roosevelt knife features handle work by Dreicer & Co. (1904-1923), the latter a leading jewelry retailer of the time and a competitor of such top companies as Faberge. Said to have originally cost $1,250—$33,216 in 2016 dollars—the Roosevelt knife is predicted by Rock Island Auction Co. to bring between $150,000 and $300,000 at auction.

According to public documents, James W. Gerard of the “supreme bench of New York City” and later ambassador to Germany, presented the knife to Roosevelt on March 3, 1909—Roosevelt’s last full day as president. It was a gift Gerard intended for Roosevelt to use on an upcoming African hunting trip. A March 10 story in the local Rock Island newspaper carried the headline “Fine Knife For Roosevelt.” It described Gerard as a close friend of Roosevelt and the knife as a “masterpiece of jeweler’s workmanship, the hilt being wrought in gold and platinum and ornamented with jewels. The [pommel] is carved in the shape of an eagle’s head of solid gold. The eagle’s eyes are garnets.

“On one side of the hilt beneath the eagle’s head is depicted a forest scene, with two [men] behind a birch tree, one of them standing, rifle in hand, the other crouching. The tree is done in gold upon a platinum background. On the reverse side is set the arms of the United States, surmounting a wishbone and intertwining tree boughs in gold. Below is the monogram ‘T.R.’ The background on this side is also of platinum. Two bears’ heads extending out from the handle form the guard at the base of the blade,” which is engraved “Presented to Theodore Roosevelt by His Friend, James W. Gerard.”

For more on the auction of the Roosevelt knife, contact Rock Island Auction Co. at www.rockislandauction.com.

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save


NEXT STEP: Download Your Free KNIFE GUIDE Issue of BLADE Magazine

BLADE’s annual Knife Guide Issue features the newest knives and sharpeners, plus knife and axe reviews, knife sheaths, kit knives and a Knife Industry Directory.

Get your FREE digital PDF instant download of the annual Knife Guide. No, really! We will email it to you right now when you subscribe to the BLADE email newsletter.

Click Here to Subscribe and get your free digital 2024 Knife Guide!
Exit mobile version