Arrowheads and stone tools weren’t just tools—they were often traded like money. Tribes valued them for their usefulness and skillful craftsmanship, making them a form of early currency in Native American trade long before coins came along.

A Striking “Colorful Ohio Point” — Dramatic Mottled Flint in a Classic Notched Form

Attractive 1½-inch knapped stone projectile point attributed by the collector to Ohio, accompanied by the original handwritten notation “COLORFUL 1½” OHIO POINT.” That description is apt — this small point punches well above its size in display appeal.

The Artifact

What sets this piece apart is its dramatic coloration: deep dark gray and black chert interrupted by cloudy white and blue-gray inclusions that shift across the face. Ohio was one of the most important prehistoric sources of high-quality flint in eastern North America, and several Ohio chert varieties are known for exactly this kind of striking visual character:

• Upper Mercer / Coshocton: Ranges from medium gray to black, often with lighter inclusions
• Nellie Blue: Gray-blue with white streaks
• Flint Ridge: Famous for multicolored banded and mottled patterns

Raw-material sourcing from appearance alone can be unreliable — researchers use analytical techniques to distinguish Ohio cherts — so no specific source is claimed here. What is clear is that the material is visually exceptional for a point of this size.

Form & Workmanship

• Blade: Broad triangular form with extensive bifacial flaking visible across the face
• Notching: Pronounced corner/side notching
• Base: Broad basal section
• Condition: Appears substantially complete with strong visible flaking and attractive natural surface variation; photographs establish exact edge condition

Identification Summary

• Collector attribution: Ohio projectile point
• Find location: Ohio, per collector notation
• Length: Approx. 1½ inches (~38 mm)
• Material: Chert/flint (probable) — Crystal system: Trigonal | Mineral class: Silicate (Tectosilicate) | Composition: microcrystalline quartz/chalcedony (SiO₂)
• Artifact form: Notched projectile point
• Cultural association: Prehistoric Indigenous North American
• Period / type: Undetermined — Ohio contains a large range of recognized point forms spanning thousands of years

Provenance Note

Ohio provenance and identification derive from the collector’s handwritten card, preserved with the artifact. This is part of the object’s collection history, not independent archaeological authentication. If the material were subsequently identified as a specific desirable Ohio flint variety and the provenance independently supported, value could be reassessed upward.

Offered as a collector specimen with the above conservative identification.