WONDERFUL INSCRIBED DAMASCENED COLT LONDON MODEL 1851 NAVY REVOLVER OF A VICTORIA CROSS WINNER.

WONDERFUL INSCRIBED DAMASCENED COLT LONDON MODEL 1851 NAVY REVOLVER OF A VICTORIA CROSS WINNER. SN 11931. Cal. 36. Usual configuration with 7-1/2″ oct bbl, London address, with iron trigger guard & backstrap and checkered 1-pc walnut grip. Left side of frame has “COLT’S PATENT” and backstrap is engraved in period script “Thomas Adair Butler / 101st Regt.” This beautiful revolver has foliate & floral gold Damascene patterns on bbl lug, rammer handle, frame, recoil shields & trigger guard with fine geometric patterns on cylinder & top of backstrap. The area on frame with “COLT’S PATENT” has a smooth gold panel with matching blank panel on opposite side. Rear sides of frame has gold flower blossoms with platinum branches. It is not believed that Colt ever produced such decoration on one of their revolvers, but it is known that individual officers had them so decorated in India and a few in England. Thomas Adair Butler was born Feb. 12, 1836 at Soburton, Hampshire, England and died May 17, 1901 at Lindale, Camberley, England. Butler enlisted as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 101st Regiment of Royal Bengal Fusiliers on June 9, 1854, became a lieutenant on Nov. 23, 1856 and eventually retired as a colonel. Lt. Butler was posted to India with the 101st to quell the Indian mutiny and participated in most of the battles in 1857 & 1858. On March 9, 1858, Lt. Butler gallantly swam the Goomtee River under heavy fire, to survey the enemy emplacements at Lucknow, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross, England’s highest military award for valor. During one of the other campaigns he was slightly wounded, apparently not seriously. One “after action report” has Lt. Butler, during one of battles in India, shooting an enemy at close range with his revolver, probably this same Colt. He remained in the service of the 101st and became captain in 1863, serving in the Northwest Frontier campaign in that year and participated in a number of battles, for which he was additionally decorated. Apparently at one time the medal was stolen and resurfaced in 1963. As of July 1989 Lt. (later Maj.) Butler’s Victoria Cross Medal was on loan to the Military Academy at Sandhurst. Accompanied by a copy of a newspaper article from the London Daily Telegraph, Oct. 10, 1972, which reports the sale of this revolver for 1,000 pounds. Also accompanied by other newspaper articles & several regimental listings and regimental action reports mentioning Butler. This is a revolver that belonged to a brave & daring young soldier and undoubtedly saw service with him in India where the damascening was probably applied. Butler’s action at Lucknow was the subject of a painting by Chevalier L.W. Desanges in the Victoria Cross Gallery at Wantage, Berkshire, England. CONDITION: Very fine plus, all matching including wedge. Bbl, rammer & handle all retain most of their fine bright blue with a few spots of touch-up over some light pitting. Cylinder & frame also retain most of this fine blue with a cleaned spot around the damascening on rear edges. Trigger guard retains about 50% strong blue, mostly in sheltered areas and backstrap is a blue/gray patina. Cylinder retains about half of all six safety pins. Mechanics are fine, bright shiny bore. 4-33303 JR350 (17,500-22,500)

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
	1379	$17,250.00	WONDERFUL INSCRIBED DAMASCENED COLT LONDON MODEL 1851 NAVY REVOLVER OF A VICTORIA CROSS WINNER. SN 11931. Cal. 36. Usual configuration with 7-1/2″ oct bbl, London address, with iron trigger guard & backstrap and checkered 1-pc walnut grip. Left side of frame has “COLT’S PATENT” and backstrap is engraved in period script “Thomas Adair Butler / 101st Regt.” This beautiful revolver has foliate & floral gold Damascene patterns on bbl lug, rammer handle, frame, recoil shields & trigger guard with fine geometric patterns on cylinder & top of backstrap. The area on frame with “COLT’S PATENT” has a smooth gold panel with matching blank panel on opposite side. Rear sides of frame has gold flower blossoms with platinum branches. It is not believed that Colt ever produced such decoration on one of their revolvers, but it is known that individual officers had them so decorated in India and a few in England. Thomas Adair Butler was born Feb. 12, 1836 at Soburton, Hampshire, England and died May 17, 1901 at Lindale, Camberley, England. Butler enlisted as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 101st Regiment of Royal Bengal Fusiliers on June 9, 1854, became a lieutenant on Nov. 23, 1856 and eventually retired as a colonel. Lt. Butler was posted to India with the 101st to quell the Indian mutiny and participated in most of the battles in 1857 & 1858. On March 9, 1858, Lt. Butler gallantly swam the Goomtee River under heavy fire, to survey the enemy emplacements at Lucknow, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross, England’s highest military award for valor. During one of the other campaigns he was slightly wounded, apparently not seriously. One “after action report” has Lt. Butler, during one of battles in India, shooting an enemy at close range with his revolver, probably this same Colt. He remained in the service of the 101st and became captain in 1863, serving in the Northwest Frontier campaign in that year and participated in a number of battles, for which he was additionally decorated. Apparently at one time the medal was stolen and resurfaced in 1963. As of July 1989 Lt. (later Maj.) Butler’s Victoria Cross Medal was on loan to the Military Academy at Sandhurst. Accompanied by a copy of a newspaper article from the London Daily Telegraph, Oct. 10, 1972, which reports the sale of this revolver for 1,000 pounds. Also accompanied by other newspaper articles & several regimental listings and regimental action reports mentioning Butler. This is a revolver that belonged to a brave & daring young soldier and undoubtedly saw service with him in India where the damascening was probably applied. Butler’s action at Lucknow was the subject of a painting by Chevalier L.W. Desanges in the Victoria Cross Gallery at Wantage, Berkshire, England. CONDITION: Very fine plus, all matching including wedge. Bbl, rammer & handle all retain most of their fine bright blue with a few spots of touch-up over some light pitting. Cylinder & frame also retain most of this fine blue with a cleaned spot around the damascening on rear edges. Trigger guard retains about 50% strong blue, mostly in sheltered areas and backstrap is a blue/gray patina. Cylinder retains about half of all six safety pins. Mechanics are fine, bright shiny bore. 4-33303 JR350 (17,500-22,500) 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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