Trade axe/tomahawk NE America 18th c.

[CutlassCollector]

Nice axe Jim.

I have seen a boarding axe with a similar 4-leaf clover stamp said to be Irish in origin but have never been able to confirm that.

In Henry Kauffman's 'American Axes' he shows this example and states 'trade axe excavated in NY state and bearing the lobed mark found on a number of trade axes'. But there is no further information other than that.

I think that, if the maker was sophisticated enough to have a 'clover' stamp for repeated use, then he would also have had letter stamps or a name stamp. So the crude letters are probably added later and more likely indicate a personal possession.

Are there any signs of a seam in way or the blade within the eye that would indicate its construction?

It seems a little too even to be pure hand made so I'm thinking maybe early 19th when blacksmiths were using water or steam driven power hammers.