FACTORY ENGRAVED & PAWNEE BILL INSCRIBED COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER.

FACTORY ENGRAVED & PAWNEE BILL INSCRIBED COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER. Cal. 45 Colt. SN 88165. Nickel finish with 5-1/2” bbl and fantastic mother-of-pearl 2-pc grips with deep relief ox head carving on right side with red stones in the eyes with the left stone missing. Each grip, in the area where a medallion would be, is inlaid with an authentic American one dollar gold piece. Backstrap is engraved in period script “Gordon W. Lillie, Pawnee, O.T.” This, of course, is the inscription of the famous Wild West showman, Pawnee Bill. It is engraved by Cuno Helfrecht with full coverage on the frame consisting of Helfrecht’s trademark sunbursts & dots on recoil shield & loading gate with his starbursts on side of the base pin housing. It has wavy line and dot patterns on top strap and in the ejector rod housing gullet, all with a fine punch dot background. Mr. Lillie was born in 1860 in Illinois and followed his dreams of the western frontier to Oklahoma Indian Territory in 1875 where he was a trapper, hunter and in 1879 became a teacher to the local Pawnee Indians. In 1883 he joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West with his band of Pawnee Indians as an interpreter and performer. He stayed & performed with Buffalo Bill all around the United States until 1888 when he formed his own Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show. He continued with his own show for twenty years and in 1908 merged with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. The show closed in Denver in 1913 and apparently Mr. Lillie retired to his ranch in Pawnee, Oklahoma with his wife, May, and died there in 1942. His ranch is now a National Historical site. Accompanied by a Colt Factory letter identifying this revolver with 5-1/2” bbl, blue finish, factory engraved with type of stocks not listed, as having been shipped March 13, 1883 to Simmons Hardware Co., St. Louis, Missouri in a shipment of five same type guns. Also accompanied by a notarized statement dated 8 May 1953 from Mrs. Amelia Lillie Hoag, sister of Gordon W. Lillie, wherein she states that this revolver is one of a pair purchased at the same time in Omaha, Nebraska. She states that it was given to her husband by her brother in 1914. This would correspond with Major Lillie having left show business in 1913. Additionally accompanying is another notarized statement dated 8 May 1995 from Ms. Joseph Almonetto wherein she states that this revolver was purchased by Mr. Joseph Almonetto in 1953. Additionally accompanied by an authentic, autographed cabinet photo of Pawnee Bill signed “GW Lillie / ‘Pawnee Bill’”. CONDITION: Very good to fine. Overall retains about all of an old renickeled finish which removed the bbl address and softened the engraving. The grips are extremely fine with brilliant fire & colors with no apparent damages. Mechanics are fine, strong bore with fine pitting. 4-30626 JR328 (60,000-100,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2007

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
	1155	$63,250.00	FACTORY ENGRAVED & PAWNEE BILL INSCRIBED COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER. Cal. 45 Colt. SN 88165. Nickel finish with 5-1/2” bbl and fantastic mother-of-pearl 2-pc grips with deep relief ox head carving on right side with red stones in the eyes with the left stone missing. Each grip, in the area where a medallion would be, is inlaid with an authentic American one dollar gold piece. Backstrap is engraved in period script “Gordon W. Lillie, Pawnee, O.T.” This, of course, is the inscription of the famous Wild West showman, Pawnee Bill. It is engraved by Cuno Helfrecht with full coverage on the frame consisting of Helfrecht’s trademark sunbursts & dots on recoil shield & loading gate with his starbursts on side of the base pin housing. It has wavy line and dot patterns on top strap and in the ejector rod housing gullet, all with a fine punch dot background. Mr. Lillie was born in 1860 in Illinois and followed his dreams of the western frontier to Oklahoma Indian Territory in 1875 where he was a trapper, hunter and in 1879 became a teacher to the local Pawnee Indians. In 1883 he joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West with his band of Pawnee Indians as an interpreter and performer. He stayed & performed with Buffalo Bill all around the United States until 1888 when he formed his own Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show. He continued with his own show for twenty years and in 1908 merged with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. The show closed in Denver in 1913 and apparently Mr. Lillie retired to his ranch in Pawnee, Oklahoma with his wife, May, and died there in 1942. His ranch is now a National Historical site. Accompanied by a Colt Factory letter identifying this revolver with 5-1/2” bbl, blue finish, factory engraved with type of stocks not listed, as having been shipped March 13, 1883 to Simmons Hardware Co., St. Louis, Missouri in a shipment of five same type guns. Also accompanied by a notarized statement dated 8 May 1953 from Mrs. Amelia Lillie Hoag, sister of Gordon W. Lillie, wherein she states that this revolver is one of a pair purchased at the same time in Omaha, Nebraska. She states that it was given to her husband by her brother in 1914. This would correspond with Major Lillie having left show business in 1913. Additionally accompanying is another notarized statement dated 8 May 1995 from Ms. Joseph Almonetto wherein she states that this revolver was purchased by Mr. Joseph Almonetto in 1953. Additionally accompanied by an authentic, autographed cabinet photo of Pawnee Bill signed “GW Lillie / ‘Pawnee Bill’”. CONDITION: Very good to fine. Overall retains about all of an old renickeled finish which removed the bbl address and softened the engraving. The grips are extremely fine with brilliant fire & colors with no apparent damages. Mechanics are fine, strong bore with fine pitting. 4-30626 JR328 (60,000-100,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2007 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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