Exceptional Artifact & Collectible Auction
Lot 146:
Outstanding 7½" St. Charles Dovetail Blade found in Lincoln Co. Mo w/ Keele COA
Large St. Charles Dovetail blade measuring 7 1/2 inches long and 2 1/4 inches wide, crafted from high grade Burlington chert, likely a Bowling Green variant. This piece represents the first stage form of a St. Charles Dovetail, produced after the knapper had fully thinned and shaped the blade but before the characteristic shoulders and stem were developed. The result is a refined, symmetrical, leaf shaped blade exhibiting long, controlled thinning flakes and fine pressure retouched edges along both margins.
The Burlington chert displays the mottled gray brown coloration and excellent knappability associated with premium Missouri materials. The surface shows genuine ancient patination, with naturally softened flake scars and mineralized texture consistent with long term age. At slightly over 3/8 inch thick, the blade’s proportions align closely with other early stage St. Charles Dovetail examples documented from Lincoln, Pike, St. Charles, and Warren counties.
Provenance is excellent. The blade was found on the Koehler family’s four generation farm in Lincoln County, Missouri, discovered by Donald Koehler, his father, or his grandfather. The farm has produced artifacts for decades, and this piece comes directly from that long established family collection. Accompanied by a Ryan Keele Certificate of Authenticity. Keele labeled the piece as a Stanfield, but the size, outline, flaking pattern, and regional match align far more closely with known first stage St. Charles Dovetail blades from this part of Missouri. The COA nonetheless confirms what matters most: the artifact is unquestionably old and authentic.
A high quality, unquestionably authentic early stage St. Charles Dovetail blade exhibiting all diagnostic traits of the type, with excellent workmanship, patination, and long standing provenance.
Condition: Authentic
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