EXTRAORDINARILY RARE CASED ENGRAVED PAIR OF CIVIL WAR ERA LONDON ARMORY KERR PERCUSSION REVOLVERS.

EXTRAORDINARILY RARE CASED ENGRAVED PAIR OF CIVIL WAR ERA LONDON ARMORY KERR PERCUSSION REVOLVERS. Cal. 38. SN 593 & 685. Spectacular pair of revolvers with 5-1/2″ ovoid shaped octal bbls with brass cone front sights, 5-shot cylinders & 1-pc checkered walnut grips. #593 has “Kerr’s Patent 762” on the right side of the frame and #685 has “Kerr’s Patent 779” on the right side of the frame. Both have flat sided rammer handles with right side mounted back action locks with safeties marked “LONDON ARMOURY / BERMONDSEY”. #593 is wonderfully engraved with extremely well executed foliate arabesque patterns with about full coverage on the frame. Lockplate, hammer & top tang are engraved to match with some light flourishes on the trigger guard. Flats of the bbl have light border patterns with a braided pattern around the muzzle. Steel buttcap and a band around the cylinder are engraved to match. Cylinder also has a braided pattern around the front edge with fine line border around the rear edge. #685 is also engraved, although not so elaborately, and has about 30% coverage fine foliate arabesque patterns with the same design on the bbl flats & a scalloped border at the muzzle. Cylinder has two large panels of arabesque patterns & a fancy front edge border with a fine line border at the rear edge. They are housed in their orig English style, green felt lined, oak casing with brass medallion in the lid, a mortised brass lock with diamond shaped escutcheon & a swinging latch at each front end with a brass drawer pull style handle at the left end. Bottom is compartmented for the two revolvers with a small Dixon bag flask, a pair of ebony & brass nipple wrenches of different lengths, a pair of identical ebony & brass turn screws, a small soldered tin box & a Dixon pewter oil bottle. Back compartment has a brass & ebony jag & there is a small tin of Eley’s caps. It has the maker’s label in the lid with instructions for loading & cleaning as well as use of these revolvers. It seems likely that these revolvers were either purchased by or were a gift to an important or high ranking Confederate officer or possibly even a gift to Capt. Caleb Huse who was sent to England by the Confederacty to purchase arms & ultimately wound up purchasing the entire production of the London Armory who made the Kerr revolver. CONDITION: Both revolvers are very fine with #593 retaining about 85% glossy bright orig blue on the bbl and about 40-50% on the frame. Lock & hammer have traces of orig case colors with the trigger guard & buttcap gray metal color. Grip is sound & retains most of its orig varnish. Mechanics are fine with a bright shiny bore. #685 retains about 90% orig blue overall on the bbl & frame with some light edge wear & muzzle wear. Lockplate retains about 75% faded case colors and the hammer retains about 50% strong case colors. Grip is fine and retains about 90% orig varnish. Mechanics have a slight problem. Trigger return spring is missing and the dbl action spring is weak, otherwise mechanics are fine. Strong bright bore with some pitting. This appears to be the revolver that was carried. Case is fine & has light nicks & scratches in the lid with some fading & soil inside the lid, moderately soiled in the bottom. Flask retains traces of orig finish with the other tools fine. 4-56475 JR709 (20,000-30,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2005

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
	3109	$20,125.00	EXTRAORDINARILY RARE CASED ENGRAVED PAIR OF CIVIL WAR ERA LONDON ARMORY KERR PERCUSSION REVOLVERS. Cal. 38. SN 593 & 685. Spectacular pair of revolvers with 5-1/2″ ovoid shaped octal bbls with brass cone front sights, 5-shot cylinders & 1-pc checkered walnut grips. #593 has “Kerr’s Patent 762” on the right side of the frame and #685 has “Kerr’s Patent 779” on the right side of the frame. Both have flat sided rammer handles with right side mounted back action locks with safeties marked “LONDON ARMOURY / BERMONDSEY”. #593 is wonderfully engraved with extremely well executed foliate arabesque patterns with about full coverage on the frame. Lockplate, hammer & top tang are engraved to match with some light flourishes on the trigger guard. Flats of the bbl have light border patterns with a braided pattern around the muzzle. Steel buttcap and a band around the cylinder are engraved to match. Cylinder also has a braided pattern around the front edge with fine line border around the rear edge. #685 is also engraved, although not so elaborately, and has about 30% coverage fine foliate arabesque patterns with the same design on the bbl flats & a scalloped border at the muzzle. Cylinder has two large panels of arabesque patterns & a fancy front edge border with a fine line border at the rear edge. They are housed in their orig English style, green felt lined, oak casing with brass medallion in the lid, a mortised brass lock with diamond shaped escutcheon & a swinging latch at each front end with a brass drawer pull style handle at the left end. Bottom is compartmented for the two revolvers with a small Dixon bag flask, a pair of ebony & brass nipple wrenches of different lengths, a pair of identical ebony & brass turn screws, a small soldered tin box & a Dixon pewter oil bottle. Back compartment has a brass & ebony jag & there is a small tin of Eley’s caps. It has the maker’s label in the lid with instructions for loading & cleaning as well as use of these revolvers. It seems likely that these revolvers were either purchased by or were a gift to an important or high ranking Confederate officer or possibly even a gift to Capt. Caleb Huse who was sent to England by the Confederacty to purchase arms & ultimately wound up purchasing the entire production of the London Armory who made the Kerr revolver. CONDITION: Both revolvers are very fine with #593 retaining about 85% glossy bright orig blue on the bbl and about 40-50% on the frame. Lock & hammer have traces of orig case colors with the trigger guard & buttcap gray metal color. Grip is sound & retains most of its orig varnish. Mechanics are fine with a bright shiny bore. #685 retains about 90% orig blue overall on the bbl & frame with some light edge wear & muzzle wear. Lockplate retains about 75% faded case colors and the hammer retains about 50% strong case colors. Grip is fine and retains about 90% orig varnish. Mechanics have a slight problem. Trigger return spring is missing and the dbl action spring is weak, otherwise mechanics are fine. Strong bright bore with some pitting. This appears to be the revolver that was carried. Case is fine & has light nicks & scratches in the lid with some fading & soil inside the lid, moderately soiled in the bottom. Flask retains traces of orig finish with the other tools fine. 4-56475 JR709 (20,000-30,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2005 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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