VERY RARE CASED ENGRAVED COLT MODEL 1861 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER WITH PROVENANCE.

SN 28071. Cal 36. Blue & color case hardened with 7-1/2″ rnd bbl, nickel silver front sight and 1-line New York U.S. America address. The cyl is usual six chambers with Ormsby Naval Battle scene roll marking and all six safety pins crisp & serviceable. The silver plated brass trigger guard & backstrap contain a fancy, select grade, 1-pc walnut grip with last four digits of matching serial number in backstrap channel. Revolver is engraved in late vine style, probably by Gustave Young with full coverage foliate & floral arabesque patterns on the frame which extend over sides of bbl and terminate forward of the address. Muzzle has a light border pattern. Hammer is deluxe engraved with foliate arabesque pattern on the shank, wolfs head on each side of hammer nose and fish scale patterns on top edge and sides of spur. Backstrap is engraved with Mr. Young’s light fan pattern at the top and foliate arabesque patterns at the top & heel, on the buttstrap & trigger guard. Accompanied by a small envelope which has the handwritten ink message “Colt History” / “I bot (sic) this ‘Navy Revolver’ in 1863 when houses of all Republicans were threatened by some ‘Mob’ – It was a 1 – up to date – pistol then. Now a curiosity”, and signed “I.C.”. A pencil note at the top states “I.C. is Issac (sic) Coles dead many years formerly of Glen Cove L.I.N.Y.”. Also accompanied by a rare orig birds-eye maple, brown velvet lined Colt casing. Case is compartmented, American style for the revolver, a double sided trophy of arms, flags, eagle & stars flask, a blued steel “COLT’S PATENT” English style bullet & ball mold with sprue cutter, marked on right side “36H”, an orig paper wrapped lacquered tin of Eley’s caps with blue label, an L-shaped nipple wrench, three spare nipples and a spare hammer spring. Only about 39,000 of these scarce revolvers were produced 1861-1873, of which several hundred were sold to the U.S. Military. The majority of production were private purchase by the U.S. Military and saw service throughout the Civil War and later on the American frontier. Very few were cased and extremely few were engraved. This revolver was produced in about 1866, just after the Civil War when repeating arms were in great demand for the Westward Expansion of Manifest Destiny. The fact that few were engraved lends credence to the thought that this revolver was a presentation to someone of high political office or an award for valor or service. PROVENANCE: Issac (sic) Coles. CONDITION: Extremely fine, all matching incl wedge, cyl & grip. Bbl retains 75-80% glossy orig blue with thinning holster wear on both sides of the muzzle; rammer handle & pivot retain bright case colors, faded near the front end; frame & hammer retain virtually all of their strong case colors, brilliant in sheltered areas; cyl retains about 80% strong orig blue thinning toward the front and shows about 97-98% Ormsby Naval Battle scene roll marking with the Ormsby signature line partially visible; trigger guard retains about 60% strong orig silver with wear on the front strap; backstrap retains strong silver at the top and on buttstrap showing brass patina in the center. Grip is sound with light to moderate edge wear with a few light nicks and overall retains about all of its orig varnish, a little dull from hand wear. Mechanics are crisp; brilliant shiny bore, shows very little use. Case has a couple cracks in the bottom otherwise is sound with a few light nicks & scratches and retains about all of its orig varnish. Interior is moderately faded with moderate to heavy soil in the bottom; partitions are sound. Flask has one small dent, otherwise is sound with the body showing about 95% orig finish. Collar is a dark brass patina with some traces of gold still on the spout & thumb lever. Spring is mostly bright blue. Mold has some pitting on both arms and inside flats show fine pitting. Cavities are fine and overall retains a restored blue finish. Cap tin has some minor paper losses but it is still sealed. Label is lightly faded. Other accessories are fine. Envelope with note is yellowed with some light foxing. 4-48085 JR220 (40,000-55,000) – Lot 1308

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Auction: Firearms - March 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
	1308	$57,500.00	VERY RARE CASED ENGRAVED COLT MODEL 1861 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER WITH PROVENANCE. SN 28071. Cal 36. Blue & color case hardened with 7-1/2″ rnd bbl, nickel silver front sight and 1-line New York U.S. America address. The cyl is usual six chambers with Ormsby Naval Battle scene roll marking and all six safety pins crisp & serviceable. The silver plated brass trigger guard & backstrap contain a fancy, select grade, 1-pc walnut grip with last four digits of matching serial number in backstrap channel. Revolver is engraved in late vine style, probably by Gustave Young with full coverage foliate & floral arabesque patterns on the frame which extend over sides of bbl and terminate forward of the address. Muzzle has a light border pattern. Hammer is deluxe engraved with foliate arabesque pattern on the shank, wolfs head on each side of hammer nose and fish scale patterns on top edge and sides of spur. Backstrap is engraved with Mr. Young’s light fan pattern at the top and foliate arabesque patterns at the top & heel, on the buttstrap & trigger guard. Accompanied by a small envelope which has the handwritten ink message “Colt History” / “I bot (sic) this ‘Navy Revolver’ in 1863 when houses of all Republicans were threatened by some ‘Mob’ – It was a 1 – up to date – pistol then. Now a curiosity”, and signed “I.C.”. A pencil note at the top states “I.C. is Issac (sic) Coles dead many years formerly of Glen Cove L.I.N.Y.”. Also accompanied by a rare orig birds-eye maple, brown velvet lined Colt casing. Case is compartmented, American style for the revolver, a double sided trophy of arms, flags, eagle & stars flask, a blued steel “COLT’S PATENT” English style bullet & ball mold with sprue cutter, marked on right side “36H”, an orig paper wrapped lacquered tin of Eley’s caps with blue label, an L-shaped nipple wrench, three spare nipples and a spare hammer spring. Only about 39,000 of these scarce revolvers were produced 1861-1873, of which several hundred were sold to the U.S. Military. The majority of production were private purchase by the U.S. Military and saw service throughout the Civil War and later on the American frontier. Very few were cased and extremely few were engraved. This revolver was produced in about 1866, just after the Civil War when repeating arms were in great demand for the Westward Expansion of Manifest Destiny. The fact that few were engraved lends credence to the thought that this revolver was a presentation to someone of high political office or an award for valor or service. PROVENANCE: Issac (sic) Coles. CONDITION: Extremely fine, all matching incl wedge, cyl & grip. Bbl retains 75-80% glossy orig blue with thinning holster wear on both sides of the muzzle; rammer handle & pivot retain bright case colors, faded near the front end; frame & hammer retain virtually all of their strong case colors, brilliant in sheltered areas; cyl retains about 80% strong orig blue thinning toward the front and shows about 97-98% Ormsby Naval Battle scene roll marking with the Ormsby signature line partially visible; trigger guard retains about 60% strong orig silver with wear on the front strap; backstrap retains strong silver at the top and on buttstrap showing brass patina in the center. Grip is sound with light to moderate edge wear with a few light nicks and overall retains about all of its orig varnish, a little dull from hand wear. Mechanics are crisp; brilliant shiny bore, shows very little use. Case has a couple cracks in the bottom otherwise is sound with a few light nicks & scratches and retains about all of its orig varnish. Interior is moderately faded with moderate to heavy soil in the bottom; partitions are sound. Flask has one small dent, otherwise is sound with the body showing about 95% orig finish. Collar is a dark brass patina with some traces of gold still on the spout & thumb lever. Spring is mostly bright blue. Mold has some pitting on both arms and inside flats show fine pitting. Cavities are fine and overall retains a restored blue finish. Cap tin has some minor paper losses but it is still sealed. Label is lightly faded. Other accessories are fine. Envelope with note is yellowed with some light foxing. 4-48085 JR220 (40,000-55,000) – Lot 1308 Click here to view provenance Auction: Firearms - March 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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VERY RARE CASED ENGRAVED COLT MODEL 1861 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER WITH PROVENANCE.