EXTREMELY RARE & NEARLY UNIQUE CUNO HELFRICHT ENGRAVED NICKEL & GOLD COLT MODEL 1889 NAVY DA REVOLVER.

EXTREMELY RARE & NEARLY UNIQUE CUNO HELFRICHT ENGRAVED NICKEL & GOLD COLT MODEL 1889 NAVY DA REVOLVER. SN 21029. Cal. 41 Colt. Nickel finish with gold plated cyl, 6″ tapered rnd bbl, 2-line address with last patent date “1888” and left side of bbl marked “COLT. D.A. 41”. Revolver is mounted with 2-pc pearl grips that have a very deep relief carved Mexican eagle on left side and an amateur carved Mexican eagle on right side. Revolver is probably from the bench of Mr. Helfricht himself with full coverage foliate arabesque patterns with punch dot background on frame. Left rear end of frame has rampant Colt in a circle. Matching engraving patterns extend 3/4 the way up each side of bbl with snake & dot patterns over top strap and around the bbl address terminating in geometric patterns just behind front sight. Both sides of frame below cyl opening are engraved in feather patterns with snake & dot patterns and sunburst patterns in gullets at front of frame. Sides of top strap are engraved in snake patterns which also appear at rear of frame around hammer slot. Top of back strap, back strap, butt strap & trigger guard are engraved in geometric patterns. Cyl is engraved with Mr. Helfricht’s trademark alternating foliate geometric patterns and sunburst patterns on lands between the flutes with snake & dot and simple snake border patterns around rear edge. Accompanied by a Colt factory letter identifying this revolver in caliber 41 Colt with 6″ bbl, nickel with gold cyl, pearl stocks “with Mexican eagle motif on left side”, factory engraved and shipped to “A. Combaluzier”, Mexico City, Mexico on Aug. 9, 1892 in a shipment of two same type revolvers. It is very likely that this revolver was intended for Mexican president, Porfirio Diaz, who had a penchant for nickel & gold revolvers having at least four others nearly identical to this one, SNs 12403, 12404, 19351 & 19354, and all were shipped to the same address in about the same time frame. Three of these revolvers are pictured in full color on p. 464 of The Colt Engraving Book Volume One, Wilson. The three pictured revolvers are somewhat more elaborate leading one to speculate that this revolver may have been intended as a presentation from Pres. Diaz. Regardless, it is an extremely rare, highly decorated, early dbl action revolver and reportedly is the only one of this series of revolvers that retains its orig finish, the others having been restored. CONDITION: Very fine. Overall retains 96-97% strong orig nickel with the only losses a small circle of missing nickel around muzzle. Cyl retains about 88-90% strong orig gold plating with most of losses around face & front edge of cylinder with some minor flaking in two flutes. Grips have chipped heels and some other minor flaking but overall are sound with great fire and color. Mechanics are fine, bright shiny bore with a few minor scattered spots of light pitting. 4-40151 JR134 (45,000-65,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2010

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
	2219	$0.00	EXTREMELY RARE & NEARLY UNIQUE CUNO HELFRICHT ENGRAVED NICKEL & GOLD COLT MODEL 1889 NAVY DA REVOLVER. SN 21029. Cal. 41 Colt. Nickel finish with gold plated cyl, 6″ tapered rnd bbl, 2-line address with last patent date “1888” and left side of bbl marked “COLT. D.A. 41”. Revolver is mounted with 2-pc pearl grips that have a very deep relief carved Mexican eagle on left side and an amateur carved Mexican eagle on right side. Revolver is probably from the bench of Mr. Helfricht himself with full coverage foliate arabesque patterns with punch dot background on frame. Left rear end of frame has rampant Colt in a circle. Matching engraving patterns extend 3/4 the way up each side of bbl with snake & dot patterns over top strap and around the bbl address terminating in geometric patterns just behind front sight. Both sides of frame below cyl opening are engraved in feather patterns with snake & dot patterns and sunburst patterns in gullets at front of frame. Sides of top strap are engraved in snake patterns which also appear at rear of frame around hammer slot. Top of back strap, back strap, butt strap & trigger guard are engraved in geometric patterns. Cyl is engraved with Mr. Helfricht’s trademark alternating foliate geometric patterns and sunburst patterns on lands between the flutes with snake & dot and simple snake border patterns around rear edge. Accompanied by a Colt factory letter identifying this revolver in caliber 41 Colt with 6″ bbl, nickel with gold cyl, pearl stocks “with Mexican eagle motif on left side”, factory engraved and shipped to “A. Combaluzier”, Mexico City, Mexico on Aug. 9, 1892 in a shipment of two same type revolvers. It is very likely that this revolver was intended for Mexican president, Porfirio Diaz, who had a penchant for nickel & gold revolvers having at least four others nearly identical to this one, SNs 12403, 12404, 19351 & 19354, and all were shipped to the same address in about the same time frame. Three of these revolvers are pictured in full color on p. 464 of The Colt Engraving Book Volume One, Wilson. The three pictured revolvers are somewhat more elaborate leading one to speculate that this revolver may have been intended as a presentation from Pres. Diaz. Regardless, it is an extremely rare, highly decorated, early dbl action revolver and reportedly is the only one of this series of revolvers that retains its orig finish, the others having been restored. CONDITION: Very fine. Overall retains 96-97% strong orig nickel with the only losses a small circle of missing nickel around muzzle. Cyl retains about 88-90% strong orig gold plating with most of losses around face & front edge of cylinder with some minor flaking in two flutes. Grips have chipped heels and some other minor flaking but overall are sound with great fire and color. Mechanics are fine, bright shiny bore with a few minor scattered spots of light pitting. 4-40151 JR134 (45,000-65,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2010 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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