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Rare Teddy Roosevelt knife up for auction in Rock Island

A rare knife owned by President Teddy Roosevelt is up for sale at an upcoming auction in the Quad Cities later this month. “We have the item valued from $...

A rare knife owned by President Teddy Roosevelt is up for sale at an upcoming auction in the Quad Cities later this month.

"We have the item valued from $150,000 to $300,000. It's a piece of U.S history. It's remained in the family all these years, 107 years, so something like this to come to public auction is few and far between," said Laurence Thomson, a vice-president with Rock Island Auction Company .

The knife was gifted to President Roosevelt by US Supreme Court Justice James Gerard in 1909, just before Roosevelt left office.

The knife's blade inscription reads "Presented to Theodore Roosevelt by his friend James W. Gerard", and its sculpted gold handle includes the initials TR and the U.S. Presidential eagle.

"It's an amazing piece of Americana that I can't believe we have in the building," said Joel Kolander, with Rock Island Auction.

A preview of the auction will be held Thursday,  September 8. The knife will go up for bid on Saturday, September 10th.

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