This is truly a sale highlight, a rare and important piece of frontier history from the famous Choteau family and previously owned by the renowned author John Baldwin with accompanying letter. This is one of the scarcest dag knives on the public market as it was made by the famous Choteau family, the very same who founded the city of St. Louis in Missouri. The Choteau's were one of America’s first early fur trading companies and were founded by the famous French trader, Pierre Choteau. There are very few authentic Choteau made relics in existence today, including a Missouri War Axe that sold at Sotheby’s for $34,000 in 2016 that was formerly in the John Baldwin and Mark Francis collections. There are a few trade axes, razor blades and trade pales that bear his touchmark of “PC & Co.” in the Missouri State Historical Society Museum and in the Museum of the American Indian in New York. Pierre Choteau eventually left St. Louis after a few decades and moved his operation up into the Dakotas along the Missouri River where he continued to sell and trade with local Indian tribes in that region such as the Sioux, Cheyenne and Manda Hidatsa. He left his son Pierre Choteau, Jr. in charge of the operations in St. Louis. Pierre Jr. eventually partnered up in the 1840s with fellow French blacksmith and fur trader Henri Papin and Papin later married into the Choteau family, one of Pierre Jr.’s sisters. This particular dag knife is from circa 1820’s and bears the touch mark of Pierre Choteau Jr. on the blade, “PCJ & Co.” This is a large, early example that measures 18 inches long and features a notch-cut war lance spear blade that is 2 ½ inches at its widest. The knife has elaborate brass tack, pewter inlay and German silver adornment and would be considered a “Presentation Grade” example. Presentation examples were given to Chiefs or other tribal dignitaries. There is a large pewter inlaid starburst on both sides of the handle showing eight-points (8-points) as well as elaborate linear chip carvings, both brass and silver tacks and different German Silver placards on each side. The knife exhibits some minor wear from honest age and use and has a nice mellow patina. There is an a trade knife in the collection of the Museum of the American Indian in New York that has a very similar linear carved line pattern, which is shown in the photos for comparison. This is truly a rare and important work of art for the advanced collector and is featured in the upcoming book “Rare American Indian Weapons Volume 4” by Mark Francis due out in 2024. Provenance: Includes a letter from John Baldwin which documents the items history and ownership as such: Jim Dressler collection, John Baldwin collection, and later sold to Mary Lou and Pierre DuPont in 2002.*