RARE CASED ENGRAVED PAIR OF PRESENTATION COLT MODEL 1851 LONDON NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVERS.

RARE CASED ENGRAVED PAIR OF PRESENTATION COLT MODEL 1851 LONDON NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVERS. SN 23660 & 23671. Cal. 36. Pair is identical, blue & color casehardened with 7-1/2″ oct bbls, brass pin front sights and “ADDRESS, COL: COLT, LONDON” with spears at each end. Left sides of frames have “COLTS PATENT” hand engraved in a ribbon, silver-plated iron trigger guards & back straps contain dlx varnished, burl walnut, 1-pc grips with matching SNs in back strap channels. Left sides of bbl lugs & cyls have British proofs. They are identically engraved in London style with fine English foliate arabesque scrolls with about 50-60% coverage on frames which extends over onto bbl lugs and rammer pivots. Hammers have light patterns on sides of spurs with top edges of hammers engraved in dolphin patterns. Ends of wedges are also engraved. Back straps & trigger guards are engraved with matching patterns. Altogether a wonderful brace of Navys owned by a gallant American Civil War officer. They are accompanied by their orig, English, brass-bound mahogany casing with bull’s eye medallion in the lid and brass reinforced corners. Front of case has sliding latches and a mortised brass lock with round escutcheon. Lock accompanies the case, however it has been removed. Interior is green baize lined and compartmented in the bottom for the pistols, a fine Dixon bag flask marked on top of the collar “COLTS NAVY FLASK”. Also contains two, blued steel, 2-cavity “COLT’S PATENT” molds with sprue cutters, one of which has a tiny “S” on the sprue cutter. Both have the locator pin in the right arm. Also accompanying are two L-shaped nipple wrenches and a large laquered tin of Eley’s caps with repoussed brass label on the lid. Left front covered corner contains five orig spare parts including a trigger, two hands with attached springs, a trigger/lock bolt spring and a lock bolt. Left rear compartment contains lead bullets. Inside the lid is mounted with a 7″ x 3″ brass plaque inscribed “THESE COLT REVOLVERS WERE USED DURING THE CIVIL WAR OF 1861-1865 / BY / HENRY STURGIS RUSSELL / WHO SAW ACTIVE SERVICE WITH THE 2ND MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY / THE 2ND MASSACHUSETTS CAVALRY AND / AS COLONEL OF THE 5TH MASSACHUSETTS CAVALRY / AFTER THE WAR HE WAS MADE BRIGADIER GENERAL BY BREVET FOR / FAITHFUL AND MERITORIOUS SERVICE DURING THE WAR AND PARTICULARLY / FOR DISTINGUISHED GALLANTRY AND GOOD CONDUCT AT BAYLOR’S FARM / BEFORE PETERSBURG. JUNE 15, 1864 / THE PISTOLS WERE GIVEN TO THE / MILTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY / IN MAY 1941 BY HIS SON / JAMES SAVAGE RUSSELL.”. This plaque has obviously replaced the orig Colt directions label which is folded & rolled in the right rear covered compartment. Both cleaning rods are missing from the case. Henry Sturgis Russell was born June 21, 1838 in Dorchester, MA and died Feb. 16, 1905 in Boston. Mr. Russell had been employed in MA when on May 25, 1861 as a 23 yr old, with the outbreak of the Civil War, he became one of the first volunteers and enlisted as a 1st Lieut. and was commissioned into Company G of the MA 2nd Inf. He was promoted to Capt. on Jan. 6, 1862 and to Lt. Col. on Jan. 22, 1863 (probably a Brevet promotion). On March 19, 1863 he was commissioned into the Field & Staff of the MA 2nd Cav. and on March 2, 1864 he was commissioned Lt. Col. into the Field & Staff of the MA 5th Cav. and on April 5, 1864 was promoted to Col. & Commander of the MA 5th Cav. Regiment. On March 13,1865 he was promoted by Brevet to Brig. Gen. Mr. Russell, with the MA. 2nd Inf, was mustered into service May 25, 1861 and performed various duties until early 1863 when they became part of the Army fighting in the Shenandoah and took part in several skirmishes and battles. Russell was taken POW at Cedar Gap with no indication of whether he escaped or was exchanged. In late 1862 a group of 100 Californians with eastern roots had enlisted, equipped themselves and paid their shipboard transportation to the east coast and arrived at Camp Meigs, Readville, MA, on Jan. 4, 1863 and became Company A of the 2nd Regiment of Cav, MA Vol, along with seven companies of troops from MA. The regiment, along with Lt. Col. Russell, took to the field in July 1863 near Yorktown, VA and from July 1863 to July 1864 continually skirmished with John Mosby’s partisan rangers and later served as part of the Army of the Shenandoah under Gen. Sheridan during the campaigns of 1864. The regiment participated in numerous other actions throughout the remainder of the war. Then on March 7, 1864, Lt. Col. Russell was transferred to the MA 5th Cav. Regiment and became Col. & Commander of the regiment. Col Russell had an excellent record in his previous assignment with the 2nd Regiment MA Vol. Inf. and the 2nd regiment MA Cav. The 5th MA Cav. was the only black American Regiment of Cavalry raised in the northern states during the Civil War. The white officers were chosen not only for their military skills but also for their abolitionist beliefs and family connections. The 5th MA Vol. Cav. was raised in the winter of 1863 and participated in various garrison & picket duties until Spring of 1864 when they took part in the battle at Baylor’s Farm leading up to the siege of Petersburg. Col. Russell was wounded in this battle and out of action until Sept. 30, 1864 when he resumed command of the regiment where he remained until Feb. 14, 1865 when he resigned his commission and returned to civilian life. Then in March of 1865 he was retroactively Breveted Brig. Gen. for gallantry in action at Baylor’s Farm. No additional information is readily available regarding Col. Russell, however the website (escholarship.bc.edu/dissertations) will lead to a site called “Crossed Sabres: A history of the Fifth Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry, an African-American regiment in the Civil War” by John Dwight Warner, Boston College. In the brief abstract of that dissertation Mr. Warner states that the dissertation looks at the prior service of the officers & men of this regiment and also traces the careers of several officers & men after the war. CONDITION: Revolvers are very fine to extremely fine, both are all matching including rammers, cyls & grips. 1) SN 23660. Bbl retains 60-70% glossy orig factory blue with the loss areas flaked, not worn, to a medium to dark patina. Rammer & handle retain most of their lightly faded case colors. Frame & hammer retain virtually all of their strong, bright orig case colors, brilliant in sheltered areas. Cyl is flaked to mostly a light gray/brown patina with small patches of brilliant shiny blue and retains about 98% Ormsby Naval battle scene with five of the six safety pins crisp and the other serviceable and the Ormsby signature visible. Grip frame retains about 95-96% strong orig silver with some fine pimpling on front & back straps. Grip is sound with a very few, very scattered, tiny nicks in the finish and retains virtually all of its bright orig varnish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore, probably unfired. 2) SN 23671. Bbl retains 88-90% glossy orig factory blue with the loss areas flaked, not worn to a dark patina. Rammer & handle retain about all of their brilliant orig factory case colors. Frame & hammer retain about all of their brilliant orig factory case colors. Cyl, inexplicably, is factory refinished with all six safety pins crisp & sharp, unfired, and retains about all of its dark factory blue with some light flaking and retains about 90% Ormsby Naval battle scene with Ormsby’s signature legible. Grip frame retains about all of its orig silver plating, strong & bright on trigger guard & front strap with heavy pimpling on back strap. Grip is sound with no discernible flaws and retains virtually all of its brilliant orig factory varnish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore, probably unfired. Case has four grain checks in bottom, otherwise is sound with normal handling & storage nicks & scratches and retains most of its orig factory varnish. Interior is lightly soiled with very minor damage from front sights and retains its dark green color. Flask has two small dents in body, otherwise retains virtually all of its brilliant orig factory finish. Molds are moderately flaked but appear to be unused with the remaining blue dark & strong & flaked areas a smooth dark patina. Nipple wrenches are unused and brilliant. Cap tin & spare parts are also extremely fine. Detached label from inside the lid is lightly yellowed and quite brittle with one small tear in the fold and need conservation but is completely legible. This is a wonderful unused brace of Navys that belonged to a courageous & gallant Union officer. 4-40636 JR337 (30,000-50,000)

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
	2273	$51,750.00	RARE CASED ENGRAVED PAIR OF PRESENTATION COLT MODEL 1851 LONDON NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVERS. SN 23660 & 23671. Cal. 36. Pair is identical, blue & color casehardened with 7-1/2″ oct bbls, brass pin front sights and “ADDRESS, COL: COLT, LONDON” with spears at each end. Left sides of frames have “COLTS PATENT” hand engraved in a ribbon, silver-plated iron trigger guards & back straps contain dlx varnished, burl walnut, 1-pc grips with matching SNs in back strap channels. Left sides of bbl lugs & cyls have British proofs. They are identically engraved in London style with fine English foliate arabesque scrolls with about 50-60% coverage on frames which extends over onto bbl lugs and rammer pivots. Hammers have light patterns on sides of spurs with top edges of hammers engraved in dolphin patterns. Ends of wedges are also engraved. Back straps & trigger guards are engraved with matching patterns. Altogether a wonderful brace of Navys owned by a gallant American Civil War officer. They are accompanied by their orig, English, brass-bound mahogany casing with bull’s eye medallion in the lid and brass reinforced corners. Front of case has sliding latches and a mortised brass lock with round escutcheon. Lock accompanies the case, however it has been removed. Interior is green baize lined and compartmented in the bottom for the pistols, a fine Dixon bag flask marked on top of the collar “COLTS NAVY FLASK”. Also contains two, blued steel, 2-cavity “COLT’S PATENT” molds with sprue cutters, one of which has a tiny “S” on the sprue cutter. Both have the locator pin in the right arm. Also accompanying are two L-shaped nipple wrenches and a large laquered tin of Eley’s caps with repoussed brass label on the lid. Left front covered corner contains five orig spare parts including a trigger, two hands with attached springs, a trigger/lock bolt spring and a lock bolt. Left rear compartment contains lead bullets. Inside the lid is mounted with a 7″ x 3″ brass plaque inscribed “THESE COLT REVOLVERS WERE USED DURING THE CIVIL WAR OF 1861-1865 / BY / HENRY STURGIS RUSSELL / WHO SAW ACTIVE SERVICE WITH THE 2ND MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY / THE 2ND MASSACHUSETTS CAVALRY AND / AS COLONEL OF THE 5TH MASSACHUSETTS CAVALRY / AFTER THE WAR HE WAS MADE BRIGADIER GENERAL BY BREVET FOR / FAITHFUL AND MERITORIOUS SERVICE DURING THE WAR AND PARTICULARLY / FOR DISTINGUISHED GALLANTRY AND GOOD CONDUCT AT BAYLOR’S FARM / BEFORE PETERSBURG. JUNE 15, 1864 / THE PISTOLS WERE GIVEN TO THE / MILTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY / IN MAY 1941 BY HIS SON / JAMES SAVAGE RUSSELL.”. This plaque has obviously replaced the orig Colt directions label which is folded & rolled in the right rear covered compartment. Both cleaning rods are missing from the case. Henry Sturgis Russell was born June 21, 1838 in Dorchester, MA and died Feb. 16, 1905 in Boston. Mr. Russell had been employed in MA when on May 25, 1861 as a 23 yr old, with the outbreak of the Civil War, he became one of the first volunteers and enlisted as a 1st Lieut. and was commissioned into Company G of the MA 2nd Inf. He was promoted to Capt. on Jan. 6, 1862 and to Lt. Col. on Jan. 22, 1863 (probably a Brevet promotion). On March 19, 1863 he was commissioned into the Field & Staff of the MA 2nd Cav. and on March 2, 1864 he was commissioned Lt. Col. into the Field & Staff of the MA 5th Cav. and on April 5, 1864 was promoted to Col. & Commander of the MA 5th Cav. Regiment. On March 13,1865 he was promoted by Brevet to Brig. Gen. Mr. Russell, with the MA. 2nd Inf, was mustered into service May 25, 1861 and performed various duties until early 1863 when they became part of the Army fighting in the Shenandoah and took part in several skirmishes and battles. Russell was taken POW at Cedar Gap with no indication of whether he escaped or was exchanged. In late 1862 a group of 100 Californians with eastern roots had enlisted, equipped themselves and paid their shipboard transportation to the east coast and arrived at Camp Meigs, Readville, MA, on Jan. 4, 1863 and became Company A of the 2nd Regiment of Cav, MA Vol, along with seven companies of troops from MA. The regiment, along with Lt. Col. Russell, took to the field in July 1863 near Yorktown, VA and from July 1863 to July 1864 continually skirmished with John Mosby’s partisan rangers and later served as part of the Army of the Shenandoah under Gen. Sheridan during the campaigns of 1864. The regiment participated in numerous other actions throughout the remainder of the war. Then on March 7, 1864, Lt. Col. Russell was transferred to the MA 5th Cav. Regiment and became Col. & Commander of the regiment. Col Russell had an excellent record in his previous assignment with the 2nd Regiment MA Vol. Inf. and the 2nd regiment MA Cav. The 5th MA Cav. was the only black American Regiment of Cavalry raised in the northern states during the Civil War. The white officers were chosen not only for their military skills but also for their abolitionist beliefs and family connections. The 5th MA Vol. Cav. was raised in the winter of 1863 and participated in various garrison & picket duties until Spring of 1864 when they took part in the battle at Baylor’s Farm leading up to the siege of Petersburg. Col. Russell was wounded in this battle and out of action until Sept. 30, 1864 when he resumed command of the regiment where he remained until Feb. 14, 1865 when he resigned his commission and returned to civilian life. Then in March of 1865 he was retroactively Breveted Brig. Gen. for gallantry in action at Baylor’s Farm. No additional information is readily available regarding Col. Russell, however the website (escholarship.bc.edu/dissertations) will lead to a site called “Crossed Sabres: A history of the Fifth Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry, an African-American regiment in the Civil War” by John Dwight Warner, Boston College. In the brief abstract of that dissertation Mr. Warner states that the dissertation looks at the prior service of the officers & men of this regiment and also traces the careers of several officers & men after the war. CONDITION: Revolvers are very fine to extremely fine, both are all matching including rammers, cyls & grips. 1) SN 23660. Bbl retains 60-70% glossy orig factory blue with the loss areas flaked, not worn, to a medium to dark patina. Rammer & handle retain most of their lightly faded case colors. Frame & hammer retain virtually all of their strong, bright orig case colors, brilliant in sheltered areas. Cyl is flaked to mostly a light gray/brown patina with small patches of brilliant shiny blue and retains about 98% Ormsby Naval battle scene with five of the six safety pins crisp and the other serviceable and the Ormsby signature visible. Grip frame retains about 95-96% strong orig silver with some fine pimpling on front & back straps. Grip is sound with a very few, very scattered, tiny nicks in the finish and retains virtually all of its bright orig varnish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore, probably unfired. 2) SN 23671. Bbl retains 88-90% glossy orig factory blue with the loss areas flaked, not worn to a dark patina. Rammer & handle retain about all of their brilliant orig factory case colors. Frame & hammer retain about all of their brilliant orig factory case colors. Cyl, inexplicably, is factory refinished with all six safety pins crisp & sharp, unfired, and retains about all of its dark factory blue with some light flaking and retains about 90% Ormsby Naval battle scene with Ormsby’s signature legible. Grip frame retains about all of its orig silver plating, strong & bright on trigger guard & front strap with heavy pimpling on back strap. Grip is sound with no discernible flaws and retains virtually all of its brilliant orig factory varnish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore, probably unfired. Case has four grain checks in bottom, otherwise is sound with normal handling & storage nicks & scratches and retains most of its orig factory varnish. Interior is lightly soiled with very minor damage from front sights and retains its dark green color. Flask has two small dents in body, otherwise retains virtually all of its brilliant orig factory finish. Molds are moderately flaked but appear to be unused with the remaining blue dark & strong & flaked areas a smooth dark patina. Nipple wrenches are unused and brilliant. Cap tin & spare parts are also extremely fine. Detached label from inside the lid is lightly yellowed and quite brittle with one small tear in the fold and need conservation but is completely legible. This is a wonderful unused brace of Navys that belonged to a courageous & gallant Union officer. 4-40636 JR337 (30,000-50,000) 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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