RARE EXCAVATED INDIAN USED COLT 1860 ARMY PERCUSSION REVOLVER ASSOCIATED WITH CUSTER’S BATTLE AT LITTLE BIG HORN.

RARE EXCAVATED INDIAN USED COLT 1860 ARMY PERCUSSION REVOLVER ASSOCIATED WITH CUSTER’S BATTLE AT LITTLE BIG HORN. SN 168886. Cal. 44. Fine relic condition ’60 Army that is still fully loaded, including caps on nipples. It has usual 8″ rnd bbl with brass trigger guard & iron backstrap and 1-pc walnut grip that has five early brass tacks on left side and one complete brass tack on right side with two square pins from other brass tacks. Both sides of grip are lightly carved with right side having burnt file decorations and a 5-pointed star that has been previously associated with Northern Cheyenne owned firearms. Accompanied by a letter dated 5/4/94 to Pennie Goodman of Pineville, Missouri from Bernard Wood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin as a follow-up to the sale of this revolver. Mr. Wood states that this revolver came from the estate of Charles P. Werms of Milwaukee and had been in his collection for many years. Mr. Werms reportedly told Mr. Wood that he had purchased it from an antique store in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where it had been obtained from a gentleman who ran a general store & grocery store around Busby, Montana in the early 1950’s. He states that the Indian residents of Crow Reservation & Cheyenne Reservation frequently traded with him and he had obtained this revolver in the 1920’s. The Indian who brought it in to him “got it from the grave of one of his ancestors who was buried in the Big Horn Canyon after the Custer fight”. Mr. Wood states he believes this fellow was from the Cheyenne reservation. He goes on to explain that the Big Horn Canyon was where some of the Indian participants of the Custer Fight retreated to rest up for a while and some of their dead were buried there. Big Horn Canyon today is under about 70 feet of water from Yellowtail Dam. Also accompanied by what appears to be a page from Indian Guns, Spears & Shields of our American Frontier, John Baldwin which lists & pictures this same Colt as item #258. CONDITION: Typical relic with heavy dark brown rust patina with heavy pitting on left side of cylinder, frame & rear area of top of bbl, with other heavy pitting on rammer handle. Rammer latch is missing and has been missing likely from before it was buried. Trigger guard has a blackish brass patina, thinned to a dark mustard patina on trigger bow & front strap. Grip has a crack through one of tack pins and has chipped toes and shows heavy wear with a dark patina. This revolver is not functioning and no attempt was made to operate any of movable parts or to remove any of the encrusted soil. 4-32335 JR358 (7,500-17,500)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 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
	2070	$11,500.00	RARE EXCAVATED INDIAN USED COLT 1860 ARMY PERCUSSION REVOLVER ASSOCIATED WITH CUSTER’S BATTLE AT LITTLE BIG HORN. SN 168886. Cal. 44. Fine relic condition ’60 Army that is still fully loaded, including caps on nipples. It has usual 8″ rnd bbl with brass trigger guard & iron backstrap and 1-pc walnut grip that has five early brass tacks on left side and one complete brass tack on right side with two square pins from other brass tacks. Both sides of grip are lightly carved with right side having burnt file decorations and a 5-pointed star that has been previously associated with Northern Cheyenne owned firearms. Accompanied by a letter dated 5/4/94 to Pennie Goodman of Pineville, Missouri from Bernard Wood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin as a follow-up to the sale of this revolver. Mr. Wood states that this revolver came from the estate of Charles P. Werms of Milwaukee and had been in his collection for many years. Mr. Werms reportedly told Mr. Wood that he had purchased it from an antique store in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where it had been obtained from a gentleman who ran a general store & grocery store around Busby, Montana in the early 1950’s. He states that the Indian residents of Crow Reservation & Cheyenne Reservation frequently traded with him and he had obtained this revolver in the 1920’s. The Indian who brought it in to him “got it from the grave of one of his ancestors who was buried in the Big Horn Canyon after the Custer fight”. Mr. Wood states he believes this fellow was from the Cheyenne reservation. He goes on to explain that the Big Horn Canyon was where some of the Indian participants of the Custer Fight retreated to rest up for a while and some of their dead were buried there. Big Horn Canyon today is under about 70 feet of water from Yellowtail Dam. Also accompanied by what appears to be a page from Indian Guns, Spears & Shields of our American Frontier, John Baldwin which lists & pictures this same Colt as item #258. CONDITION: Typical relic with heavy dark brown rust patina with heavy pitting on left side of cylinder, frame & rear area of top of bbl, with other heavy pitting on rammer handle. Rammer latch is missing and has been missing likely from before it was buried. Trigger guard has a blackish brass patina, thinned to a dark mustard patina on trigger bow & front strap. Grip has a crack through one of tack pins and has chipped toes and shows heavy wear with a dark patina. This revolver is not functioning and no attempt was made to operate any of movable parts or to remove any of the encrusted soil. 4-32335 JR358 (7,500-17,500) Auction: Firearms - Fall 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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