Leaping Elk Charm in Sterling Silver, Vintage Maisel's New Old Stock

A sterling elk mid-leap, antlers swept back along the spine, front legs tucked. Still on the original Maisel's card, never worn. Vintage new old stock from a Route 66 New Mexico trading post, sold as a single sterling silver wildlife charm for a bracelet or necklace.

Northern New Mexico is elk country. This one came off a counter on Route 66, sold to people who had just driven through it. It makes a fitting little souvenir for anyone who loves elk, hunting, or the high desert where these animals roam.

• Sterling silver, marked on the original Maisel's card
• Approx. 3/4" wide x 1/2" tall, not including the jump ring
• New old stock, still attached to its original Maisel's card
• Three available
• Sold individually as a single charm
• Sized for use on most standard charm bracelets or to wear on a fine chain as a small pendant

The story
Maisel's Indian Trading Post opened on Route 66 in downtown Albuquerque in 1939. Maurice Maisel hired John Gaw Meem, the architect who defined Pueblo Revival, and told him he was "not content with the usual Indian thing." Olive Rush designed the murals across the facade, painted by young artists including Pablita Velarde, Ben Quintana, Harrison Begay, and Pop Chalee. By the 1940s Maisel's was the largest trading post on Route 66. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. This charm came off that counter and never left its card. For Route 66 or New Mexico collectors, that original card and deadstock condition are half the fun.

Wearing it
Maisel's cut two elk molds, this one and a smaller standing elk. Two poses, one trading post. Add it to your favorite chain or charm bracelet, or give it to someone who collects these. The leaping pose reads beautifully on a wildlife- or hunting-themed bracelet, and the card is half the reason they'll want it.

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