EXCEEDINGLY RARE CASED PAIR OF PRESENTATION COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY REVOLVERS.

Revised: 10/5/2008

Correction: Serial Number should read “117964” not 117904″. This means the pair are within 8 serial numbers apart, not 54 serial numbers apart.

EXCEEDINGLY RARE CASED PAIR OF PRESENTATION COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY REVOLVERS. SN 117904 & 117958. Cal. 36. Exceptional & exceedingly rare cased pair of Civil War presentation Colt Model 1851 percussion revolvers. This pair is identical in all respects with 7-1/2″ oct bbls, brass pin front sights, “NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA” addresses and “COLT’S PATENT” on left side of frames. They have silver plated brass trigger guard & back straps with 1-pc walnut grips. Each back strap is identically engraved “PRESENTED TO CAP. A.L. HOUGH BY UNION RIFLES TERRE HAUTE, IND.”. Serial numbers on both revolvers, on frames, trigger guards & butt straps are accompanied by a small number “2”, undoubtedly indicating that they are a pair. Accompanied by their orig burgundy velvet lined mahogany Colt casing with mortised brass lock & diamond shaped escutcheon in front. Bottom is compartmented for the two revolvers, a sgl sided angle spout, “COLT’S PATENT” flask, a “COLT’S PATENT” 2-cavity iron bullet mold with sprue cutter, a laquered tin of 500 Eley’s caps, an L-shaped nipple wrench & a spare, orig, unnumbered cylinder. Right rear corner compartment contains bullets & balls. Also accompanying are four packets of orig combustible cartridges marked “FOR WHITNEY’S OR COLT’S NAVY PISTOL”. Capt. Alfred Lacy Hough was born in New Jersey & enlisted in the 17th Pennsylvania Infantry in April 1861 and mustered out in June 1861 to accept a commission as Captain in the 19th Infantry. It was apparently at this time that he was sent to Indiana as a recruiting officer and apparently became associated with the Union Rifles in Terre Haute. It is unclear exactly what the Union Rifles actually were but a later bit of information disclosed that the Union Rifles, in May of 1864. had opened a recruiting office and raised money & supplies to supply men in the field and relief to the families of the soldiers who were not present to provide for them. The Union Rifles apparently had been formed in April 1861 just for that purpose. There is no indication of the reason for the presentation although it can be assumed that the presentation in some way related to Capt. Hough’s recruiting efforts in the area. Capt. Hought served throughout the entire war and was breveted Major in Sept. 1863 for gallant & meritorious service in the Battle of Chickamauga. He was then promoted to Brevet Lt. Colonel in March 1865 for the mustering of troops and on the same day to Brevet Colonel for gallant & meritorious service during the war. He remained in the 19th Infantry until September 1866 when he was transferred to the 28th Infantry, then was reassigned to the 13th Infantry in 1870 & promoted to the prominent rank of Major in the 22nd Infantry in 1874. He was made permanent Lt. Col. in the 16th Infantry in Feb. 1882 and served on the frontier at Fort Davis, Arizona Territory as Post Commander from May to August 1882. He was promoted to Colonel of the 9th Infantry in 1888 and retired in April 1890, ending a long & distinguished military career served with courage & honor. Included in the lot is a copy of Hough’s book “Soldier in the West, C.W. Letters of Alfred Lacy Hough” a digest of the author’s patriotic feelings about the War, his personal life back on the home front, and his development as a professional soldier. Additional research in the Terre Haute, Indiana area newspaper morgues may disclose the reason for the presentation of this wonderful pair of revolvers to Capt. Hough. CONDITION: Extraordinarily fine, probably unfired. Both retain virtually all of their strong, bright orig factory finish with glossy Colt blue on bbl & cylinders with some light flaking on both bbls & cylinders. Frames, hammers, rammers & rammer handles all retain about 99%+ of their brilliant orig factory case colors. Trigger guards & back straps retain virtually all of their orig silver finish, slightly thinned on back straps in the engraved areas. Grips are pristine, retaining virtually all of their brilliant orig factory varnish. Both revolvers appear to be unfired with both cylinders retaining all six crisp safety pins. Case is completely sound with minor handling & storage marks & retains virtually all of its orig factory varnish. Interior is heavily faded in lid and moderately faded in bottom with wear & soil from the front sights & hammer spurs. Flask is fine, probably not orig to this set and retains 75-80% orig finish with several small dents on back side. Mold is crisp & new retaining about 98% orig finish. Spare cylinder is also new. Nipple wrench & cap tin are fine. Two of the cartridge packets are crisp & orig with the other two in slightly soiled condition with an open seam on bottom of each. An extraordinary set in as fine orig condition as one would ever fine anywhere else in the world. 4-35780 JR347 (180,000-225,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2008

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
	2283	$230,000.00	Revised: 10/5/2008 Correction: Serial Number should read “117964” not 117904″. This means the pair are within 8 serial numbers apart, not 54 serial numbers apart. EXCEEDINGLY RARE CASED PAIR OF PRESENTATION COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY REVOLVERS. SN 117904 & 117958. Cal. 36. Exceptional & exceedingly rare cased pair of Civil War presentation Colt Model 1851 percussion revolvers. This pair is identical in all respects with 7-1/2″ oct bbls, brass pin front sights, “NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA” addresses and “COLT’S PATENT” on left side of frames. They have silver plated brass trigger guard & back straps with 1-pc walnut grips. Each back strap is identically engraved “PRESENTED TO CAP. A.L. HOUGH BY UNION RIFLES TERRE HAUTE, IND.”. Serial numbers on both revolvers, on frames, trigger guards & butt straps are accompanied by a small number “2”, undoubtedly indicating that they are a pair. Accompanied by their orig burgundy velvet lined mahogany Colt casing with mortised brass lock & diamond shaped escutcheon in front. Bottom is compartmented for the two revolvers, a sgl sided angle spout, “COLT’S PATENT” flask, a “COLT’S PATENT” 2-cavity iron bullet mold with sprue cutter, a laquered tin of 500 Eley’s caps, an L-shaped nipple wrench & a spare, orig, unnumbered cylinder. Right rear corner compartment contains bullets & balls. Also accompanying are four packets of orig combustible cartridges marked “FOR WHITNEY’S OR COLT’S NAVY PISTOL”. Capt. Alfred Lacy Hough was born in New Jersey & enlisted in the 17th Pennsylvania Infantry in April 1861 and mustered out in June 1861 to accept a commission as Captain in the 19th Infantry. It was apparently at this time that he was sent to Indiana as a recruiting officer and apparently became associated with the Union Rifles in Terre Haute. It is unclear exactly what the Union Rifles actually were but a later bit of information disclosed that the Union Rifles, in May of 1864. had opened a recruiting office and raised money & supplies to supply men in the field and relief to the families of the soldiers who were not present to provide for them. The Union Rifles apparently had been formed in April 1861 just for that purpose. There is no indication of the reason for the presentation although it can be assumed that the presentation in some way related to Capt. Hough’s recruiting efforts in the area. Capt. Hought served throughout the entire war and was breveted Major in Sept. 1863 for gallant & meritorious service in the Battle of Chickamauga. He was then promoted to Brevet Lt. Colonel in March 1865 for the mustering of troops and on the same day to Brevet Colonel for gallant & meritorious service during the war. He remained in the 19th Infantry until September 1866 when he was transferred to the 28th Infantry, then was reassigned to the 13th Infantry in 1870 & promoted to the prominent rank of Major in the 22nd Infantry in 1874. He was made permanent Lt. Col. in the 16th Infantry in Feb. 1882 and served on the frontier at Fort Davis, Arizona Territory as Post Commander from May to August 1882. He was promoted to Colonel of the 9th Infantry in 1888 and retired in April 1890, ending a long & distinguished military career served with courage & honor. Included in the lot is a copy of Hough’s book “Soldier in the West, C.W. Letters of Alfred Lacy Hough” a digest of the author’s patriotic feelings about the War, his personal life back on the home front, and his development as a professional soldier. Additional research in the Terre Haute, Indiana area newspaper morgues may disclose the reason for the presentation of this wonderful pair of revolvers to Capt. Hough. CONDITION: Extraordinarily fine, probably unfired. Both retain virtually all of their strong, bright orig factory finish with glossy Colt blue on bbl & cylinders with some light flaking on both bbls & cylinders. Frames, hammers, rammers & rammer handles all retain about 99%+ of their brilliant orig factory case colors. Trigger guards & back straps retain virtually all of their orig silver finish, slightly thinned on back straps in the engraved areas. Grips are pristine, retaining virtually all of their brilliant orig factory varnish. Both revolvers appear to be unfired with both cylinders retaining all six crisp safety pins. Case is completely sound with minor handling & storage marks & retains virtually all of its orig factory varnish. Interior is heavily faded in lid and moderately faded in bottom with wear & soil from the front sights & hammer spurs. Flask is fine, probably not orig to this set and retains 75-80% orig finish with several small dents on back side. Mold is crisp & new retaining about 98% orig finish. Spare cylinder is also new. Nipple wrench & cap tin are fine. Two of the cartridge packets are crisp & orig with the other two in slightly soiled condition with an open seam on bottom of each. An extraordinary set in as fine orig condition as one would ever fine anywhere else in the world. 4-35780 JR347 (180,000-225,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2008 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.

.red{fill:#B50938;} .white{fill:#FFFFFF;} .blue{fill:#005596;}