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AuctionWally looks at a Buffalo Bill Cody Masonic sword cane
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Jeff asks:
The cane was purchased threw Ebay as an Art Folk Cane.I noticed it looked like a mason type showing marking on the handle(W.F.Cody),(1903),
(Sheridan) and (W.Y.O.).When I received the cane I noticed it quite heavy and it looked painted cheaply.The paint had glued the sword inside the cane and preserving it.
On the cap it shows B.B. Cody sitting in front of a Lodge made of cinder blocks and a two foot wall of rocks in front of lodge.He sits wearing his Scottish Rite hat in robe with a modern cane in left hand in front of a man wearing a mickey mouse type hat with oriental fan in hand in robe.
A oriental type person walking away with a long sword on one side looking back and the other side bringing it back as what you see now.
I know his Daughter married to a military man stationed in the Philippines for two years. I did a sketch of the mason symbols on the sword because you can't see them without magnification. After long debate I decided to soak the handle and take it apart for any names or marks.
I can see in the rust a W.F.Cody just enough to know for sure it was custom made for him. There was concrete rock in the silver cap for support and one marking of two Chinese letters meaning (TO YOURSELF).The cane is made for a person between 68"-72 inches roughly. I know this will be a hard one to appraise so an opinion of if real or not will be nice.
Thank You
Jeff
AW says:
That's a fantastic find, and I appreciate your respect for the depth of an appraisal on this, your correct, it's not an easy thing to appraise as there is only one of these like it in the world.
I believe your item is legitimate, as for it being "real", there is no doubt that it is actually from the period it depicts, which is the turn of the 20th century.
As you know, BB was a showman and a cane made like this would have been something he would be likely to have. We know this by the mother of pearl handles, the patina on the sword blade, the styling of the sterling silver cane cap etc.
Because it is a period piece, it makes it much less likely that this would be a fake. Fakes DID exist back then, but where much less common, and the amount of work put into this would not have been cost efficient.
If re-selling, you need to get this into the hands of an appropriate auction company and negotiate for the best commission fee possible.
Date range: Turn of the 20th century
Retail value: (speculative) $7,500-$15,000
(top price)
Wholesale value: This is a rare case when wholesale and quick sale values would not apply.
(The mid range price you could expect to achieve at a well advertised live auction. The price that is most often realized)
Quick sale value: N/A
The price your likely to get if you have to sell your item immediately and your prospective customer is aware of this.
Keywords: Masonic sword cane, sword cane, Buffalo Bill Cody's sword cane, Masonic rites, mother of pearl, sterling cap, historical item, Americana.
Care and storage tips: I would have a professional restore this if your not completely confident of doing so.
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