Bits and Spurs with Animal Designs
Many of the most valuable and collectible antique bit and spur designs in the hobby feature animal designs and motifs. Read more below about the most common animal designs you might see on collectible antique bits and spurs. Almost any bit or pair of spurs that is by a famous maker, is in great condition, and features an animal design is likely to be worth a lot!
Antique Animal Design Bits:
Common collectible bit designs include the Eagle Bit design, Snake bit design or the Kissing birds motif. However, there are other less common designs that feature other animals as well. There is no single version of the antique Snake or Eagle bit that is the definitive design and many bit makers used their own creativity to find ways to incorporate animal designs into functional bits and spurs.
Among the most famous makers of Animal bits would be G.S. Garcia whose Eagle bit was copied by many many others. Other western makers like Echavarria were well knows for their snake design bits and spurs as well.
Old Animal Design Spurs:
Animal Designs and Motifs on collectible spurs are also valuable and collectible. Some makers are especially well known for popular designs like McChesney’s peacock bit and spur set that featured synthetic rubies and emeralds upon special order. Other famous makers associated with animal motifs include P.M. Kelly who produced all kinds of animal designs from Steer Head or Bull Head Spurs, Horse Head Shank Spurs, a unique Rattlesnake Spurs design, and among others a Goose-Neck Shank Spur that was a design that many makers produced in their own ways. Another common design you’ll frequently see is the Buermann Horse-Head, Buffalo-Head, or Indian-Head Spurs and bit. This set is usually seen Buermann’s Hercules Bronze metal and while they are pretty common in the collecting world they are still in demand from collectors. These pieces can also be found with the North & Judd Anchor mark as they were made after Buermann was bought out by North & Judd in 1926.
