Relics of the American West: 1850-1920
Lot 2215:
Description
HB Hudson’s Bay Quebec 1782 Fire Steel Lot
This exceptional lot features an early 19th-century dome-top document box measuring 14.5 inches wide by 9″ deep by approximately 7″ tall, alongside an extraordinarily significant, hand-forged iron strike-a-light fire steel stamped with a merged “HB” monogram and the historic date “1782”, with “QUEBEC” stamped on the reverse. The distinctive conjoined initials firmly connect this 18th-century scroll-form striker to the legendary Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) fur trade era, making it a museum-caliber piece of Canadian history. Accompanying the trunk and fire steel is an intriguing assortment of historic trade tools, including a hand-forged loop-handled screwdriver measuring 8.5 inches long, a dual-ended curved scraper measuring 11 inches long, a barbed iron fork tool measuring approximately 6.25 inches long, and a folding triangular bronze fur stretching device measuring 13.75 inches long by approximately 1.75 inches tall and patented by Alexander S. Greenstein in 1932 (PAT No 1879931). Pieces display a beautiful, honest patina with heavy surface oxidation, pitting, and expected wear consistent with age, while the trunk shows moderate lifting, rubbing, and staining to its exterior covering and interior lining. H 7″, W 14.5″, D 9″. Please see photos for condition.
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