American War of Independence powder horn sounds at $16,450

Greg Martin Auctions' militaria sale at the weekend (June 26-27) offered a number of historic items with remarkable provenance.

Among the sale's highlights was a genuine 1876 Gatling gun and two Civil War flags, the latter with an especially interesting story behind them...

But these weren't the only unique items to appear in the sale.

Also in its outstanding lots was this handsome and skilfully-carved powder horn, dated to 1775 and inscribed with a legend reading: "Benjamin Stedman His Horn/ Made At Roxbury Camp In/The Year Of Our Lord/1775."

Closer inspection of the horn's surface reveals incised images of a heart, spiral, circular designs, a crown and serpentine borders - making this a very unique artefact indeed.


Private Benjamin Steadman's rare and historic American Revolutionary War
powder horn

The finely-carved horn was sold with a wooden plug and also a comprehensive document file on its owner, Private Benjamin Steadman, detailing his impressive military career.

Steadman was born on July 26, 1742, in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts and was inducted as Captain in the 5th North Carolina Regiment in 1776.

He later fought in an infantry unit in defense of the North Carolina line; the battle of Brandywine; the Battle of Germantown; the Battle of Monmouth; the Siege of Savannah; and the Siege of Charleston.

In excellent condition, this remaining piece of his remarkable legacy auctioned at Greg Martin for a final price of $16,450 - comfortably exceeding its $8,000-12,000 pre-sale value.

 

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