VERY RARE CASED SET OF ENGRAVED COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVERS.

SN 79929 & 79956. Cal. 36. Revolvers have identical configuration, blue and color case hardened with 7-1/2″ oct bbls, scarce dovetailed front sights and Hartford bbl addresses. Left sides of frames are engraved “COLTS PATENT” in pillow shape. The silver-plated brass trigger guards and backstraps contain fancy burl walnut 1-piece grips that have last 4 digits of matching SNs in their respective backstrap channels. Cyls have usual 6 chambers with Ormsby Naval battle scene roll marking. They both have rnd head English style screws. Both are engraved by Gustave Young. #79929 has full coverage foliate arabesque patterns with 2 scrolls terminating in flower blossoms. Matching patterns extend over the bbl lug and top side flats of the bbl and onto the rammer pivot. One scroll on the left side of the bbl lug terminates in Mr. young’s mythical dog’s head and two others on the right side terminate in flower blossoms. Backstrap has typical Young engraving of a starbust panel at the top with foliate arabesque patterns at the top, on the heel, buttstrap and trigger bow. Hammer is deluxe engraved with a wolf’s head on each side of the nose, foliate arabesque patterns on the shank and fish scale patterns on the top edge and sides of the spur. Spur is hand checkered. Screw heads and tips are engraved. #79956 is nearly identically engraved with virtually identical patterns, including flower blossoms in the same places and a much more detailed dog’s head on the bbl lug. Screws are not engraved. Accompanied by an extraordinary, burgundy velvet lined, rosewood double casing that is French fitted in the bottom for the revolvers, two brass 2-cavity “COLTS PATENT” molds with bright steel sprue cutters, one of which has an “H” inspector mark on the right side, 2 L-shaped nipple wrenches, a copper and brass 3-compartment flask and a lacquered tin of Eley’s caps. Case has gold-washed hinges with a mortised lock with shield-shaped escutcheon. Right rear and left front covered compartments are black leatherette covered with ivory pulls. Mr. Leff’s notes state that these revolvers were “Cased and sold by F. H. Clark & Company, 290 Main Street, Memphis TN” who were in business 1841-1876. These revolvers were produced in about 1857 when any repeating arm was in great demand by the pioneers traveling west. The model 1851 Navy was one of, if not the, most widely used revolver of that period. They remained in service from their inception right through the Civil War and later on the American frontier well into the 1970s when they were finally supplanted by the advent of self-contained cartridge arms. Their use is well-documented by many notable lawmen, outlaws and general citizens. William B. (Wild Bill) Hickock was known to carry a pair of ’51 Navies. PROVENANCE: Michael Leff Estate Collection. CONDITION: Both revolvers are very fine to extremely fine, all matching including wedges, cyls and grips. #79929 is very fine. Bbl retains traces of original blue having flaked, not worn, to a medium patina with a few scattered spots of surface rust; rammer handle and pivot are a grey metal patina, also with a a few spots of rust; frame retains faint traces of case colors having mostly faded to metal patina; cyl is a light grey/brown patina with one area of fine pitting and shows about 50% Ormsby Naval battle scene roll marking; trigger guard retains 75-80% orig silver and the backstrap about 60%; grip is sound showing light to moderate wear and retains 75-80% orig varnish. Mechanics are fine; moderate to heavily pitted strong bore. #79956. Bbl retains 50-60% flaked original blue with loss areas a dark patina; rammer pivot retains traces of case colors being mostly a dark patina; frame retains case colors in sheltered areas having mostly faded to a light patina; cyl is a grey./brown patina and shows 60-70% Ormsby Naval battle scene with the 6 safety pins mostly serviceable; trigger guard and backstrap retain 60-70% orig silver. Grip has a bruise on the left side, otherwise is sound showing light to moderate wear and retains about 70% orig varnish; mechanics are fine, bight shiny bore with a few scattered spots of light pitting. Case has a grain check in the lid, otherwise is sound with most of the oilcloth covering on the bottom intact. It has light handling and storage marks and retains about 95% orig varnish; interior is lightly faded in the top with light soil from contact with the revolver cyls. Bottom is lightly faded with moderate soil at various contact points with revolvers; flask is fine showing about 50% orig finish; molds are also fine showing moderate battering; other accessories are fine. 4-49637 (55,000-80,000) – Lot 2147

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2014

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
	2147	$0.00	VERY RARE CASED SET OF ENGRAVED COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVERS. SN 79929 & 79956. Cal. 36. Revolvers have identical configuration, blue and color case hardened with 7-1/2″ oct bbls, scarce dovetailed front sights and Hartford bbl addresses. Left sides of frames are engraved “COLTS PATENT” in pillow shape. The silver-plated brass trigger guards and backstraps contain fancy burl walnut 1-piece grips that have last 4 digits of matching SNs in their respective backstrap channels. Cyls have usual 6 chambers with Ormsby Naval battle scene roll marking. They both have rnd head English style screws. Both are engraved by Gustave Young. #79929 has full coverage foliate arabesque patterns with 2 scrolls terminating in flower blossoms. Matching patterns extend over the bbl lug and top side flats of the bbl and onto the rammer pivot. One scroll on the left side of the bbl lug terminates in Mr. young’s mythical dog’s head and two others on the right side terminate in flower blossoms. Backstrap has typical Young engraving of a starbust panel at the top with foliate arabesque patterns at the top, on the heel, buttstrap and trigger bow. Hammer is deluxe engraved with a wolf’s head on each side of the nose, foliate arabesque patterns on the shank and fish scale patterns on the top edge and sides of the spur. Spur is hand checkered. Screw heads and tips are engraved. #79956 is nearly identically engraved with virtually identical patterns, including flower blossoms in the same places and a much more detailed dog’s head on the bbl lug. Screws are not engraved. Accompanied by an extraordinary, burgundy velvet lined, rosewood double casing that is French fitted in the bottom for the revolvers, two brass 2-cavity “COLTS PATENT” molds with bright steel sprue cutters, one of which has an “H” inspector mark on the right side, 2 L-shaped nipple wrenches, a copper and brass 3-compartment flask and a lacquered tin of Eley’s caps. Case has gold-washed hinges with a mortised lock with shield-shaped escutcheon. Right rear and left front covered compartments are black leatherette covered with ivory pulls. Mr. Leff’s notes state that these revolvers were “Cased and sold by F. H. Clark & Company, 290 Main Street, Memphis TN” who were in business 1841-1876. These revolvers were produced in about 1857 when any repeating arm was in great demand by the pioneers traveling west. The model 1851 Navy was one of, if not the, most widely used revolver of that period. They remained in service from their inception right through the Civil War and later on the American frontier well into the 1970s when they were finally supplanted by the advent of self-contained cartridge arms. Their use is well-documented by many notable lawmen, outlaws and general citizens. William B. (Wild Bill) Hickock was known to carry a pair of ’51 Navies. PROVENANCE: Michael Leff Estate Collection. CONDITION: Both revolvers are very fine to extremely fine, all matching including wedges, cyls and grips. #79929 is very fine. Bbl retains traces of original blue having flaked, not worn, to a medium patina with a few scattered spots of surface rust; rammer handle and pivot are a grey metal patina, also with a a few spots of rust; frame retains faint traces of case colors having mostly faded to metal patina; cyl is a light grey/brown patina with one area of fine pitting and shows about 50% Ormsby Naval battle scene roll marking; trigger guard retains 75-80% orig silver and the backstrap about 60%; grip is sound showing light to moderate wear and retains 75-80% orig varnish. Mechanics are fine; moderate to heavily pitted strong bore. #79956. Bbl retains 50-60% flaked original blue with loss areas a dark patina; rammer pivot retains traces of case colors being mostly a dark patina; frame retains case colors in sheltered areas having mostly faded to a light patina; cyl is a grey./brown patina and shows 60-70% Ormsby Naval battle scene with the 6 safety pins mostly serviceable; trigger guard and backstrap retain 60-70% orig silver. Grip has a bruise on the left side, otherwise is sound showing light to moderate wear and retains about 70% orig varnish; mechanics are fine, bight shiny bore with a few scattered spots of light pitting. Case has a grain check in the lid, otherwise is sound with most of the oilcloth covering on the bottom intact. It has light handling and storage marks and retains about 95% orig varnish; interior is lightly faded in the top with light soil from contact with the revolver cyls. Bottom is lightly faded with moderate soil at various contact points with revolvers; flask is fine showing about 50% orig finish; molds are also fine showing moderate battering; other accessories are fine. 4-49637 (55,000-80,000) – Lot 2147 Auction: Firearms - Spring 2014 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 SET OF ENGRAVED COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVERS.