Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States, a former Rough Rider, lifelong hunter and naturalist whose presidency made conservation a national priority. In 1909, as he prepared to leave office and embark on a Smithsonian-backed expedition to Africa, his friend New York Supreme Court Justice James W. Gerard presented him with an elaborate hunting knife. Roosevelt returned a penny to Gerard to satisfy the old superstition that a gifted blade could cut a friendship — then decided the knife was too valuable to risk taking to Africa. The knife remained with the Roosevelt family for generations before selling at auction for $414,000 in 2016.
The original paired a J. Russell & Co. steel blade with an ornate gold-and-platinum hilt by Dreicer & Co. Spectres preserves its defining details: the eagle-head pommel with red eyes, a forest scene with two Native American figures, the arms of the United States above a wishbone and intertwining branches, Roosevelt’s “TR” monogram, the opposing bear-head guard and Gerard’s presentation inscription along the blade.
The original relied on the contrast of steel, platinum, yellow gold and garnet. Here, antiqued .999 silver and selective gold gilding translate that contrast into precious metal while retaining the character of the original design. The mintage is 1,909 pieces, taken directly from the year Roosevelt received the knife.