HISTORIC RARE PRESENTATION HIGHLANDS DAGGER OF CECIL RHODES, FOUNDER OF DEBEERS MINING COMPANY.

HISTORIC RARE PRESENTATION HIGHLANDS DAGGER OF CECIL RHODES, FOUNDER OF DEBEERS MINING COMPANY.

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Cecil John Rhodes (1853-1902) was a powerful & wealthy British businessman, mining magnate, and politician in South Africa. This wonderful Highland dirk is silver mounted in 1891 by McKay & Chisholm of Edinburgh Scotland. At the time of this manufacture, Cecil Rhodes was the newly elected Prime Minister of the Cape Colony. Rhodes during his reign expanded British colonialism north from the cape and founded the southern African territory of Rhodesia, which was named after him in 1895. South Africa’s Rhodes University is also named after Rhodes. Rhodes was originally the largest stockholder in the DeBeers Mining Co. of which he was co-founder. Upon his death in 1902, Rhodes was among the wealthiest men in the world and much of his estate funded scholarships “to educate future leaders of the world”. The Rhodes Scholarship is famous and perpetual with over half billion dollars today and fully funds over 100 post graduate scholarships annually.
This Highlands dirk of the highest quality composed of cut crystals and sterling mounts was among the numerous gifts that such an important person received in his lifetime. Crystal handles are cut, no doubt to emulate diamonds from his South African mines. His monogram “CJR” is elegantly cut into the sterling decorated ferrule. Each sterling silver component is hallmarked with Scottish letter date, maker mark, silver purity marks. Accompanying dagger is vintage 2.5” photographic Ogden cigarette card in series of important Victorian personages in fine condition. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: copy of the March 2015 Julia catalog and original “Flayderman Collection” tag.

STATUS: NON-GUN.