*SPECTACULAR HOWARD DOVE ENGRAVED & GOLD INLAID COLT MARK IV SERIES 70 GOLD CUP NATIONAL MATCH SEMI-AUTO PISTOL.

*SPECTACULAR HOWARD DOVE ENGRAVED & GOLD INLAID COLT MARK IV SERIES 70 GOLD CUP NATIONAL MATCH SEMI-AUTO PISTOL. Cal. 45 ACP. SN 70N79902. Extraordinarily fine engraved pistol with blue finish, 5” bbl, adjustable sights with smooth scrimshawed, gold Colt medallion, ivory grips. It is engraved by Colt master engraver, the late Howard Dove, and signed on bottom right edge of the slide “Howard M. Dove-Colt M’Str Engr.” It is engraved in what Mr. Dove referred to as D+ engraving with virtually full coverage on frame & slide. Slide has a gold wire border around front & rear panels of both sides with left & right sides having all of the standard lettering inlaid with flush gold. Left side also has a gold rampant Colt and at rear edge the Colt symbol of a triangle in a circle. Right side has a 2-handled trophy in the front panel and the stylized “COLT” in the rear panel. Bottom front of slide has an elaborate gold fleur-de-lis. Entire side edges of the frame & front strap have gold wire borders with gold wire inlay on sides of hammer. Serial number is also inlaid in gold. Magazine base is engraved to match and has “COLT / .45 AUTO” in flush gold. Grips are very beautifully scrimshawed with the Colt Factory dome on left side and the Armsmere (Samuel Colt’s mansion) crest on right side. The flat mainspring housing, grip safety, hammer spur and trigger are beautifully checkered with fantastic matching engraving also on grip safety. Engraving, when closely examined, is spectacular with very minimal evidence of the hand chased pattern normally found with other so-called master engravers’ work. This piece is truly a work of art by one of the greatest master engravers. Accompanied by a blue velvet lined, Colt walnut case and the small owner’s manual. Also accompanied by a letter from the late Howard Dove to Mr. W.A. Dascher of Virginia Beach, Virginia, the man who commissioned this piece, dated Jan. 14, 1991. Mr. Dove relates in the letter all of the work that he did on the pistol and states “I consider this to be the finest automatic I have ever engraved to date.” Mr. Dove passed away in Nov. 1994. There are also copies of several articles regarding Mr. Dove’s work from a variety of magazines including Man at Arms, Feb. 1996, The Colt Collector’s Magazine by Doc O’Meara, another from The Australian Shooters Digest, 1993, also by Doc O’Meara, and an article from Guns Review, June 1991 by Doc O’Meara which has a picture of this very pistol on p. 446, among several other spectacular pieces engraved by the late Mr. Dove. There are two reprint photographs of Mr. Dove, one in a semi-formal pose and the other at his bench. There are also copies of two letters from Mr. Francis P. Chesnek to Ms. Gidget Dove-Price (Mr. Dove’s daughter) requesting information regarding this pistol and a reply from Ms. Dove-Price. CONDITION: Extraordinarily fine. Appears to be unfired since engraving, retaining virtually all of its brilliant custom finish. Case is equally new. 4-30532 JR339 (15,000-20,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 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
	1568	$21,850.00	SPECTACULAR HOWARD DOVE ENGRAVED & GOLD INLAID COLT MARK IV SERIES 70 GOLD CUP NATIONAL MATCH SEMI-AUTO PISTOL. Cal. 45 ACP. SN 70N79902. Extraordinarily fine engraved pistol with blue finish, 5” bbl, adjustable sights with smooth scrimshawed, gold Colt medallion, ivory grips. It is engraved by Colt master engraver, the late Howard Dove, and signed on bottom right edge of the slide “Howard M. Dove-Colt M’Str Engr.” It is engraved in what Mr. Dove referred to as D+ engraving with virtually full coverage on frame & slide. Slide has a gold wire border around front & rear panels of both sides with left & right sides having all of the standard lettering inlaid with flush gold. Left side also has a gold rampant Colt and at rear edge the Colt symbol of a triangle in a circle. Right side has a 2-handled trophy in the front panel and the stylized “COLT” in the rear panel. Bottom front of slide has an elaborate gold fleur-de-lis. Entire side edges of the frame & front strap have gold wire borders with gold wire inlay on sides of hammer. Serial number is also inlaid in gold. Magazine base is engraved to match and has “COLT / .45 AUTO” in flush gold. Grips are very beautifully scrimshawed with the Colt Factory dome on left side and the Armsmere (Samuel Colt’s mansion) crest on right side. The flat mainspring housing, grip safety, hammer spur and trigger are beautifully checkered with fantastic matching engraving also on grip safety. Engraving, when closely examined, is spectacular with very minimal evidence of the hand chased pattern normally found with other so-called master engravers’ work. This piece is truly a work of art by one of the greatest master engravers. Accompanied by a blue velvet lined, Colt walnut case and the small owner’s manual. Also accompanied by a letter from the late Howard Dove to Mr. W.A. Dascher of Virginia Beach, Virginia, the man who commissioned this piece, dated Jan. 14, 1991. Mr. Dove relates in the letter all of the work that he did on the pistol and states “I consider this to be the finest automatic I have ever engraved to date.” Mr. Dove passed away in Nov. 1994. There are also copies of several articles regarding Mr. Dove’s work from a variety of magazines including Man at Arms, Feb. 1996, The Colt Collector’s Magazine by Doc O’Meara, another from The Australian Shooters Digest, 1993, also by Doc O’Meara, and an article from Guns Review, June 1991 by Doc O’Meara which has a picture of this very pistol on p. 446, among several other spectacular pieces engraved by the late Mr. Dove. There are two reprint photographs of Mr. Dove, one in a semi-formal pose and the other at his bench. There are also copies of two letters from Mr. Francis P. Chesnek to Ms. Gidget Dove-Price (Mr. Dove’s daughter) requesting information regarding this pistol and a reply from Ms. Dove-Price. CONDITION: Extraordinarily fine. Appears to be unfired since engraving, retaining virtually all of its brilliant custom finish. Case is equally new. 4-30532 JR339 (15,000-20,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 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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