Dating to the early or mid-nineteenth century, this horn has the typical flat-topped base plug with coiled rope molding associated with Lancaster and rather simple screw tip spout. The base and spout have iron staples for a strap. The base plug shows a simple incised border line as well. The body of the horn is a light cream color shading toward gray and them brown at the tip. There is just some light wear to the edges of the warm brown colored base plug, showing it was actually carried.

Screw-tip powder horns are as American as the Pennsylvania-Kentucky rifles they often accompanied. Produced as early as the French and Indian War, they retained their natural shape where European horns were often flattened or reshaped for applied decoration. The horns might be decorated, but much of their beauty lies in their architectural form. The American maker combined the horn in its natural shape with a turned base plug and rather sophisticated screw tip- at first screwing into a threaded shoulder and later screwing onto a short, threaded stem (the “external screw-tip.”) Some have argued this was merely to provide a larger aperture to fill the horn, but it also allowed for division of labor within the shop and increased output with a final coloring, polishing and assembly of all the parts - a bit of American practicality to meet high demand, since hunting was not restricted to nobility.

This is a nice Pennsylvania made horn in great condition, showing some of the regional differences that make the study of Pennsylvania arms and accoutrements so interesting. [sr] [ph:m]

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