RARE HENRY MODEL 1860 ENGRAVED LEVER ACTION RIFLE WITH HISTORY TO AMERICAN CIVIL WAR GENERAL EDWARD MCCOOK AND THE KING KALAKAUA OF HAWAII AND LATER TO PRINCESS KAWANANAKOA.

SN 8850. Cal. 44 RF Henry. The rifle is usual configuration with 24-1/4″ oct bbl that has integral mag, nickel silver front sight and fixed rear sight with no second dovetail in receiver. Mounted with very nicely figured, uncheckered American walnut buttstock with straight grip and late style silver plated brass buttplate with pointed heel and small trap. Left side of buttstock has a factory sling swivel with corresponding sling loop on left side of bbl. Receiver is engraved by Samuel Hoggson in his typical patterns with the vignette of a deer jumping a rail fence on the left sideplate, surrounded by foliate arabesque pattern that have fine pearled background are surrounded by double border patterns. Right side is engraved with matching foliate arabesque patterns which extend over all three flats on the top of receiver, around the rear edges, and top tang. Buttplate tang is engraved to match. Front side flats are engraved with Mr. Hoggson’s typical large flower blossoms. Top flat of receiver is engraved “Genl. McCook” in a ribbon. Right side of buttstock has an attached 3″ x 1-3/4″ silver plated brass plaque which in engraved “KING KALAKAUA’S / FAVORITE RIFLE / TO / PRINCESS KAWANANAKOA / FROM COL. JERRY BRANT”. No disassembly was effected to check for matching numbers. This rifle was produced in 1865, late in the Civil War, possibly one of the type II martial Henrys purchased in 1865 by the Union Army. It is recorded that the Henry Rifle Company was scrambling to fill government contracts along with numerous other orders and on more than one occasion, in order to quickly complete the contract, they simply took rifles from civilian production, some of which were engraved & plated, and shipped them to the military. It is also recorded that on more than one occasion when an engraved rifle showed up in a military shipment it was seized by senior officers for themselves. This may or may not be the case with this rifle. Regardless of how it became the property of General McCook, whether through the military, gift or private purchase, it will never be known. What is known is that after the war was over General McCook was appointed to be the U.S. Minister to the Kingdom of Hawaii by President Andrew Johnson and served from March 1866 to April 1869. One of his primary duties was to negotiate a reciprocity treaty between the U.S. and Hawaii, which was then known as the Kingdom of Hawaii. He apparently worked closely with King Kamehameha V and successfully negotiated a treaty, but for political reasons it was not ratified by the U.S. Senate until some 8 years later. King Kamehameha named General McCook a Knight’s Commander of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I. Apparently while in Hawaii General McCook worked and socialized with many of the Royal Family and the King’s staff, one being David Kalakaua (1836-1891). Mr. Kalakaua was elected King of Hawaii in 1874 and was the last King of Hawaii. It was under his reign that the U.S./Hawaii reciprocity treaty was negotiated which eliminated tariffs on Hawaiian products. It is unclear how the McCook Henry came into the possession of King Kalakaua but there is no doubt that he did own it as it is recorded as having been in the possession of the Royal Family in 1932. Towards the end of King Kalakaua’s reign his cabinet was overthrown and a new constitution was adopted which stripped him of much of his power. With his health failing the King traveled to the U.S. and died suddenly in San Francisco in 1891. The McCook rifle than passed to Queen Kapi’olani and on her death in 1899 was passed to her son Prince Kuhio Kalaniana’ole and was in his gun cabinet when he died in 1922. Prince Kuhio was born in 1871 and in 1895, after the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, he participated in an unsuccessful rebellion against the Republic of Hawaii for which he spent a year in jail. After his release from prison he traveled throughout Europe and South Africa and fought in the second Boer War. He returned to Hawaii and was elected to the U.S. Congress for 10 successive terms. He died in 1922. After his death his widow Elizabeth K. Woods donated the contents of his rifle cabinet to the Bishop Museum. The museum is believed to have put this rifle up for auction in 1932 and is listed in the probate inventory in the First Circuit Court, Territory of Hawaii which was filed August 13, 1932 and appears on a list entitled “Property of Elizabeth K. Woods to go to Bishop Museum”. A letter addressed to the late John A. Bell dated May 17, 1993 on The Friends of ‘Iolani Palace letterhead, over the signature of H.J. Bartells, Curator, details the information about the Woods Estate. Mr. Bartells provided an inventory of the gun cabinet which lists item #A-83T as “Gen’l. McCook” #8850. He also states that the auction of the Woods Estate required many separate auctions in August, September and December 1932 and again in 1935. He further states that the August 16, 1932 issue of the Honolulu Advertiser notes that “rifles, shotguns, revolvers will be sold, along with other things, on the next day’s sale”. Mr. Bartells further states that Princess Abigail Kawananakoa was an active bidder at many of these sales and that her friends were known to have purchased objects for her. Mr. Bartells speculates that “it is highly likely that Col. Jerry Brant purchased the McCook rifle at the August 16 auction and sometime later presented it to the Princess”. The Princess passed away in April 1945 and her will left “—also the King’s pipes, guns and swords belonging to the King and Prince Kawananakoa —” to her son David Kalakaua Kawananakoa. Gerald Clark Brant, a graduate of West Point in 1904, retired as Major General in 1944. He was the Commander of the 18th Bombardment Wing in Hawaii in 1931 until August 1934 at Hickham Field, Territory of Hawaii. Apparently Col. Brant had long standing connections in Hawaii to a family named Robinson, a member of which stated that Col. Brant had visited the Robinson family in the 1920s and again in 1933 and had predicted that the Japanese might be planning an attack on Hawaii. The McCook rifle was eventually purchased by noted firearms collector and Hawaii firearms historian the late John A. Bell (1931-2008). And so is the provenance of this wonderful rifle from a famous and courageous Civil War General to Hawaiian Royalty to a well-known collector whose estate has consigned it to this auction. PROVENANCE: General Edward McCook; King David Kalakaua, Hawaii; Queen Kapi’Olani, Hawaii; Prince Kuhio Kalaniana’ole, Hawaii; Elizabeth Woods, Hawaii; Col. Gerald C. Brant; Princess Abigail Kawananakoa, Hawaii; David Kalakaua Kawananakoa, Hawaii; Bishop Museum, Hawaii; John A. Bell. CONDITION: Fine. Bbl retains about 15% restored blue with the balance a mottled silver brown patina with fine surface etching. Receiver retains traces of orig silver, shows light sharp edge wear and a dark mustard patina. Buttplate retains about 60% orig silver. Buttstock has a repaired chip left side of wrist with a few gouges with nicks and scratches and retains 80-85% of a very old refinish. It appears that at one time the bbl, lever, hammer and screws were refinished with the hammer, trigger and screws retaining bright high polished blue, with moderate to heavy rust on rear edge of hammer. Plaque on the buttstock is a silver patina. Mechanics are fine. Bright shiny bore. Shows very little use. 49501-1 JRL (150,000-250,000) – Lot 3006

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Auction: Firearms - October 2015

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	3006	$0.00	RARE HENRY MODEL 1860 ENGRAVED LEVER ACTION RIFLE WITH HISTORY TO AMERICAN CIVIL WAR GENERAL EDWARD MCCOOK AND THE KING KALAKAUA OF HAWAII AND LATER TO PRINCESS KAWANANAKOA. SN 8850. Cal. 44 RF Henry. The rifle is usual configuration with 24-1/4″ oct bbl that has integral mag, nickel silver front sight and fixed rear sight with no second dovetail in receiver. Mounted with very nicely figured, uncheckered American walnut buttstock with straight grip and late style silver plated brass buttplate with pointed heel and small trap. Left side of buttstock has a factory sling swivel with corresponding sling loop on left side of bbl. Receiver is engraved by Samuel Hoggson in his typical patterns with the vignette of a deer jumping a rail fence on the left sideplate, surrounded by foliate arabesque pattern that have fine pearled background are surrounded by double border patterns. Right side is engraved with matching foliate arabesque patterns which extend over all three flats on the top of receiver, around the rear edges, and top tang. Buttplate tang is engraved to match. Front side flats are engraved with Mr. Hoggson’s typical large flower blossoms. Top flat of receiver is engraved “Genl. McCook” in a ribbon. Right side of buttstock has an attached 3″ x 1-3/4″ silver plated brass plaque which in engraved “KING KALAKAUA’S / FAVORITE RIFLE / TO / PRINCESS KAWANANAKOA / FROM COL. JERRY BRANT”. No disassembly was effected to check for matching numbers. This rifle was produced in 1865, late in the Civil War, possibly one of the type II martial Henrys purchased in 1865 by the Union Army. It is recorded that the Henry Rifle Company was scrambling to fill government contracts along with numerous other orders and on more than one occasion, in order to quickly complete the contract, they simply took rifles from civilian production, some of which were engraved & plated, and shipped them to the military. It is also recorded that on more than one occasion when an engraved rifle showed up in a military shipment it was seized by senior officers for themselves. This may or may not be the case with this rifle. Regardless of how it became the property of General McCook, whether through the military, gift or private purchase, it will never be known. What is known is that after the war was over General McCook was appointed to be the U.S. Minister to the Kingdom of Hawaii by President Andrew Johnson and served from March 1866 to April 1869. One of his primary duties was to negotiate a reciprocity treaty between the U.S. and Hawaii, which was then known as the Kingdom of Hawaii. He apparently worked closely with King Kamehameha V and successfully negotiated a treaty, but for political reasons it was not ratified by the U.S. Senate until some 8 years later. King Kamehameha named General McCook a Knight’s Commander of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I. Apparently while in Hawaii General McCook worked and socialized with many of the Royal Family and the King’s staff, one being David Kalakaua (1836-1891). Mr. Kalakaua was elected King of Hawaii in 1874 and was the last King of Hawaii. It was under his reign that the U.S./Hawaii reciprocity treaty was negotiated which eliminated tariffs on Hawaiian products. It is unclear how the McCook Henry came into the possession of King Kalakaua but there is no doubt that he did own it as it is recorded as having been in the possession of the Royal Family in 1932. Towards the end of King Kalakaua’s reign his cabinet was overthrown and a new constitution was adopted which stripped him of much of his power. With his health failing the King traveled to the U.S. and died suddenly in San Francisco in 1891. The McCook rifle than passed to Queen Kapi’olani and on her death in 1899 was passed to her son Prince Kuhio Kalaniana’ole and was in his gun cabinet when he died in 1922. Prince Kuhio was born in 1871 and in 1895, after the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, he participated in an unsuccessful rebellion against the Republic of Hawaii for which he spent a year in jail. After his release from prison he traveled throughout Europe and South Africa and fought in the second Boer War. He returned to Hawaii and was elected to the U.S. Congress for 10 successive terms. He died in 1922. After his death his widow Elizabeth K. Woods donated the contents of his rifle cabinet to the Bishop Museum. The museum is believed to have put this rifle up for auction in 1932 and is listed in the probate inventory in the First Circuit Court, Territory of Hawaii which was filed August 13, 1932 and appears on a list entitled “Property of Elizabeth K. Woods to go to Bishop Museum”. A letter addressed to the late John A. Bell dated May 17, 1993 on The Friends of ‘Iolani Palace letterhead, over the signature of H.J. Bartells, Curator, details the information about the Woods Estate. Mr. Bartells provided an inventory of the gun cabinet which lists item #A-83T as “Gen’l. McCook” #8850. He also states that the auction of the Woods Estate required many separate auctions in August, September and December 1932 and again in 1935. He further states that the August 16, 1932 issue of the Honolulu Advertiser notes that “rifles, shotguns, revolvers will be sold, along with other things, on the next day’s sale”. Mr. Bartells further states that Princess Abigail Kawananakoa was an active bidder at many of these sales and that her friends were known to have purchased objects for her. Mr. Bartells speculates that “it is highly likely that Col. Jerry Brant purchased the McCook rifle at the August 16 auction and sometime later presented it to the Princess”. The Princess passed away in April 1945 and her will left “—also the King’s pipes, guns and swords belonging to the King and Prince Kawananakoa —” to her son David Kalakaua Kawananakoa. Gerald Clark Brant, a graduate of West Point in 1904, retired as Major General in 1944. He was the Commander of the 18th Bombardment Wing in Hawaii in 1931 until August 1934 at Hickham Field, Territory of Hawaii. Apparently Col. Brant had long standing connections in Hawaii to a family named Robinson, a member of which stated that Col. Brant had visited the Robinson family in the 1920s and again in 1933 and had predicted that the Japanese might be planning an attack on Hawaii. The McCook rifle was eventually purchased by noted firearms collector and Hawaii firearms historian the late John A. Bell (1931-2008). And so is the provenance of this wonderful rifle from a famous and courageous Civil War General to Hawaiian Royalty to a well-known collector whose estate has consigned it to this auction. PROVENANCE: General Edward McCook; King David Kalakaua, Hawaii; Queen Kapi’Olani, Hawaii; Prince Kuhio Kalaniana’ole, Hawaii; Elizabeth Woods, Hawaii; Col. Gerald C. Brant; Princess Abigail Kawananakoa, Hawaii; David Kalakaua Kawananakoa, Hawaii; Bishop Museum, Hawaii; John A. Bell. CONDITION: Fine. Bbl retains about 15% restored blue with the balance a mottled silver brown patina with fine surface etching. Receiver retains traces of orig silver, shows light sharp edge wear and a dark mustard patina. Buttplate retains about 60% orig silver. Buttstock has a repaired chip left side of wrist with a few gouges with nicks and scratches and retains 80-85% of a very old refinish. It appears that at one time the bbl, lever, hammer and screws were refinished with the hammer, trigger and screws retaining bright high polished blue, with moderate to heavy rust on rear edge of hammer. Plaque on the buttstock is a silver patina. Mechanics are fine. Bright shiny bore. Shows very little use. 49501-1 JRL (150,000-250,000) – Lot 3006 \| Click here to view provenance Auction: Firearms - October 2015 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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RARE HENRY MODEL 1860 ENGRAVED LEVER ACTION RIFLE WITH HISTORY TO AMERICAN CIVIL WAR GENERAL EDWARD MCCOOK AND THE KING KALAKAUA OF HAWAII AND LATER TO PRINCESS KAWANANAKOA.