EXCEPTIONALLY RARE & IMPORTANT CASED PROTOTYPE COLT FLUTED CYLINDER MODEL 1861 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER.

EXCEPTIONALLY RARE & IMPORTANT CASED PROTOTYPE COLT FLUTED CYLINDER MODEL 1861 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER. SN 29. Cal. 36. Rare prototype Model 1861 Navy with 7-1/2” rnd bbl, German silver front sight and 1-line “New-York U.S. America” address. Left side of frame is marked “COLT’S PATENT” and it has a silver plated trigger guard & back strap containing a 1-pc walnut grip. Cylinder, obviously modified from a full rnd cylinder before it was rolled with the Ormsby Naval battle scene, is full fluted. It has an “1850” patent date in one of the front flutes with the serial number on a land between nipple recess on rear face. All six safety pins are crisp. This early version of the Model 1860 Navy is very important in the evolution and development of that model and with only very few ever having been produced in this configuration, is almost never encountered. Accompanied by an outstanding deluxe rosewood casing with gold washed, scalloped brass corners and a rectangular cut-corner plaque in the lid. Bottom has gold washed brass corner reinforcements and a mortised brass mortised lock with cut-corner rectangular escutcheon. Bottom of case is covered with a patterned burgundy oil cloth. Interior is lined in burgundy velvet, compartmented in the bottom for the revolver, an exceptional one-sided “COLT’S PATENT” angle spout flask, a blued “COLT’S PATENT” 2-cavity bullet mold marked “36B” on right side, a full sealed tin of Eley’s caps, an L-shaped nipple wrench/screwdriver and a rare sealed packet of six combustible cartridges from “Colt’s Cartridge Works”. Right front compartment contains bullets & balls and one Eley’s Combustible Cartridge. Also accompanied by a tattered broadside regarding Eley’s Combustible Cartridges. PROVENANCE: Dr. Joseph A. Murphy Collection. CONDITION: Revolver is very fine to extremely fine, all matching including cylinder, wedge & grip. Bbl retains 50-60% glossy orig blue with balance flaked to a dark blue/brown patina. Rammer handle & pivot retain most of their orig factory case colors turned somewhat dark on handle, brilliant on pivot. Frame retains about all of its strong bright case colors, slightly faded on left recoil shield, brilliant in sheltered areas and on right side. Hammer retains about all of its orig bright case colors under a coating of old dried oil. Trigger guard & back strap retain most of their orig silver plating, slightly thinned on front strap. Grip is sound with only a few minor, very light, nicks & scratches and one gouge on bottom left side and overall retains about all of its bright factory varnish. Cylinder, with its intact six safety pins, retains 65-70% orig factory blue, mostly in the flutes, with balance having flaked to a medium patina. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore with scattered light pitting in the grooves. Case has one grain check in the bottom and some slight shrinkage in the lid with minor handling & storage marks and retains about all of its orig varnish. Reinforcements and inlays retain most of their orig gold wash with wear on corner reinforcements. Interior is lightly faded with slight wear from front sight and hammer spur. Flask is extremely fine, retaining about 75-80% strong orig finish. Mold retains 92-93% strong orig factory blue with some rust pitting on sprue cutter and end of one handle. Cap tin is extremely fine with a couple of small chips in the paper covering and moderate fading on label. Cartridge packet is extremely fine. Altogether a very rare prototype Colt and an extremely important step in the evolutionary progress of the 1861 Navy revolver 4-36414 JR86 (75,000-125,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2009

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
	2019	$97,750.00	EXCEPTIONALLY RARE & IMPORTANT CASED PROTOTYPE COLT FLUTED CYLINDER MODEL 1861 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER. SN 29. Cal. 36. Rare prototype Model 1861 Navy with 7-1/2” rnd bbl, German silver front sight and 1-line “New-York U.S. America” address. Left side of frame is marked “COLT’S PATENT” and it has a silver plated trigger guard & back strap containing a 1-pc walnut grip. Cylinder, obviously modified from a full rnd cylinder before it was rolled with the Ormsby Naval battle scene, is full fluted. It has an “1850” patent date in one of the front flutes with the serial number on a land between nipple recess on rear face. All six safety pins are crisp. This early version of the Model 1860 Navy is very important in the evolution and development of that model and with only very few ever having been produced in this configuration, is almost never encountered. Accompanied by an outstanding deluxe rosewood casing with gold washed, scalloped brass corners and a rectangular cut-corner plaque in the lid. Bottom has gold washed brass corner reinforcements and a mortised brass mortised lock with cut-corner rectangular escutcheon. Bottom of case is covered with a patterned burgundy oil cloth. Interior is lined in burgundy velvet, compartmented in the bottom for the revolver, an exceptional one-sided “COLT’S PATENT” angle spout flask, a blued “COLT’S PATENT” 2-cavity bullet mold marked “36B” on right side, a full sealed tin of Eley’s caps, an L-shaped nipple wrench/screwdriver and a rare sealed packet of six combustible cartridges from “Colt’s Cartridge Works”. Right front compartment contains bullets & balls and one Eley’s Combustible Cartridge. Also accompanied by a tattered broadside regarding Eley’s Combustible Cartridges. PROVENANCE: Dr. Joseph A. Murphy Collection. CONDITION: Revolver is very fine to extremely fine, all matching including cylinder, wedge & grip. Bbl retains 50-60% glossy orig blue with balance flaked to a dark blue/brown patina. Rammer handle & pivot retain most of their orig factory case colors turned somewhat dark on handle, brilliant on pivot. Frame retains about all of its strong bright case colors, slightly faded on left recoil shield, brilliant in sheltered areas and on right side. Hammer retains about all of its orig bright case colors under a coating of old dried oil. Trigger guard & back strap retain most of their orig silver plating, slightly thinned on front strap. Grip is sound with only a few minor, very light, nicks & scratches and one gouge on bottom left side and overall retains about all of its bright factory varnish. Cylinder, with its intact six safety pins, retains 65-70% orig factory blue, mostly in the flutes, with balance having flaked to a medium patina. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore with scattered light pitting in the grooves. Case has one grain check in the bottom and some slight shrinkage in the lid with minor handling & storage marks and retains about all of its orig varnish. Reinforcements and inlays retain most of their orig gold wash with wear on corner reinforcements. Interior is lightly faded with slight wear from front sight and hammer spur. Flask is extremely fine, retaining about 75-80% strong orig finish. Mold retains 92-93% strong orig factory blue with some rust pitting on sprue cutter and end of one handle. Cap tin is extremely fine with a couple of small chips in the paper covering and moderate fading on label. Cartridge packet is extremely fine. Altogether a very rare prototype Colt and an extremely important step in the evolutionary progress of the 1861 Navy revolver 4-36414 JR86 (75,000-125,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2009 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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