EXTRAORDINARY CASED GUSTAVE YOUNG ENGRAVED COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER.

EXTRAORDINARY CASED GUSTAVE YOUNG ENGRAVED COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER. SN 51808. Cal. 36. Spectacular new ’51 Navy with 7-1/2″ bbl, brass pin front sight, 1-line New York City address with silver plated brass small trigger guard & back strap & mounted with extraordinary, smooth 1-pc ivory grip. Frame, bbl lug, trigger guard, back strap, hammer & rammer pivot are engraved with Gustave Young’s deluxe patterns consisting of wonderfully executed foliate arabesque patterns with punch dot background. Some of the swirls terminate in his trademark flower blossoms & left side of bbl lug has his trademark dog’s head also with his trademark spray of foliate arabesque patterns emanating from a flower blossom. It additionally has his kidney shaped design around the engraved “COLT’S PATENT” on frame executed in gentle arcs. Hammer has his trademark wolf’s heads on each side of the nose with a dolphin pattern on the top edge of hammer & spur. Top of back strap has his early rendition of a fan. Serial numbers on bbl lug & frame are surrounded by small cross hatch patterns and all of screw heads & screw ends are engraved. Accompanied by its orig burgundy velvet lined mahogany casing compartmented in bottom for revolver, an equally new angle spout, dbl sided Navy size flask, a new blued steel “COLT’S PATENT” 2-cavity bullet mold with sprue cutter, a new “L” shaped nipple wrench/screwdriver, a full laquered tin of Eley Bros. caps, a key, with the angled compartment in right rear containing bullets & balls. Additionally in the flask compartment is an unopened packet of skin cartridges. Also accompanied by several pages of correspondence between Horace Greeley, IV of Cliffside Park, NJ (direct descendant of the famous newspaper editor, Horace Greeley, who coined the phrase “Go West, young man, go West”)& Christie’s Park Avenue Galleries, New York City, regarding items missing from the case, apparently discovered after he purchased it from Christie’s in their Oct. 7, 1981 Auction. Also accompanying is a letter from R.L. Wilson, the noted Colt historian & researcher, who identifies this revolver basically as above and notes that it is from “the renowned collection of Jerry D. Berger”. He further states that this revolver is featured in full color in the “new” Colt Engraving Book. PROVENANCE: Horace Greeley IV; Christie’s Auctions; Butterfield Auctions; Jerry D. Berger Collection. CONDITION: Extraordinarily fine and near mint! All numbered parts are matching. No disassembly was affected to check for hidden numbered parts. Appears to be new & unfired retaining about 98% glossy orig blue on bbl & bbl lug with only faint sharp edge wear. Rammer pivot & handle retain about all of their orig case colors, slightly faded on handle. Cylinder retains most of its orig factory blue, slightly thin with about 98% Ormsby Naval battle scene, all six safety pins are crisp. Frame & hammer retain virtually all of their slightly faded orig factory case colors. Trigger guard & back strap retain abut all of their strong orig silver plating. Grip is equally extraordinary with sharp edges & a wonderful mellow ivory patina. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore with a few small spots of pitting. A truly magnificent ’51. Case is also extremely fine with a hairline grain check in lid & a couple of small cracks in bottom and retains most of its orig varnish with minor handling & storage mars. Interior is moderately faded with light soil & wear from front sight & hammer spur with staining from cylinder & edge of grip. Flask, mold & nipple wrench are pristine new & unused. Cap tin is near new, missing its paper wrap. Cartridge box has a partially open seam but is very fine. An extraordinary set, the like of which is likely never be encountered again. 4-35778 JR345 (90,000-125,000)

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
	2285	$138,000.00	EXTRAORDINARY CASED GUSTAVE YOUNG ENGRAVED COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER. SN 51808. Cal. 36. Spectacular new ’51 Navy with 7-1/2″ bbl, brass pin front sight, 1-line New York City address with silver plated brass small trigger guard & back strap & mounted with extraordinary, smooth 1-pc ivory grip. Frame, bbl lug, trigger guard, back strap, hammer & rammer pivot are engraved with Gustave Young’s deluxe patterns consisting of wonderfully executed foliate arabesque patterns with punch dot background. Some of the swirls terminate in his trademark flower blossoms & left side of bbl lug has his trademark dog’s head also with his trademark spray of foliate arabesque patterns emanating from a flower blossom. It additionally has his kidney shaped design around the engraved “COLT’S PATENT” on frame executed in gentle arcs. Hammer has his trademark wolf’s heads on each side of the nose with a dolphin pattern on the top edge of hammer & spur. Top of back strap has his early rendition of a fan. Serial numbers on bbl lug & frame are surrounded by small cross hatch patterns and all of screw heads & screw ends are engraved. Accompanied by its orig burgundy velvet lined mahogany casing compartmented in bottom for revolver, an equally new angle spout, dbl sided Navy size flask, a new blued steel “COLT’S PATENT” 2-cavity bullet mold with sprue cutter, a new “L” shaped nipple wrench/screwdriver, a full laquered tin of Eley Bros. caps, a key, with the angled compartment in right rear containing bullets & balls. Additionally in the flask compartment is an unopened packet of skin cartridges. Also accompanied by several pages of correspondence between Horace Greeley, IV of Cliffside Park, NJ (direct descendant of the famous newspaper editor, Horace Greeley, who coined the phrase “Go West, young man, go West”)& Christie’s Park Avenue Galleries, New York City, regarding items missing from the case, apparently discovered after he purchased it from Christie’s in their Oct. 7, 1981 Auction. Also accompanying is a letter from R.L. Wilson, the noted Colt historian & researcher, who identifies this revolver basically as above and notes that it is from “the renowned collection of Jerry D. Berger”. He further states that this revolver is featured in full color in the “new” Colt Engraving Book. PROVENANCE: Horace Greeley IV; Christie’s Auctions; Butterfield Auctions; Jerry D. Berger Collection. CONDITION: Extraordinarily fine and near mint! All numbered parts are matching. No disassembly was affected to check for hidden numbered parts. Appears to be new & unfired retaining about 98% glossy orig blue on bbl & bbl lug with only faint sharp edge wear. Rammer pivot & handle retain about all of their orig case colors, slightly faded on handle. Cylinder retains most of its orig factory blue, slightly thin with about 98% Ormsby Naval battle scene, all six safety pins are crisp. Frame & hammer retain virtually all of their slightly faded orig factory case colors. Trigger guard & back strap retain abut all of their strong orig silver plating. Grip is equally extraordinary with sharp edges & a wonderful mellow ivory patina. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore with a few small spots of pitting. A truly magnificent ’51. Case is also extremely fine with a hairline grain check in lid & a couple of small cracks in bottom and retains most of its orig varnish with minor handling & storage mars. Interior is moderately faded with light soil & wear from front sight & hammer spur with staining from cylinder & edge of grip. Flask, mold & nipple wrench are pristine new & unused. Cap tin is near new, missing its paper wrap. Cartridge box has a partially open seam but is very fine. An extraordinary set, the like of which is likely never be encountered again. 4-35778 JR345 (90,000-125,000) 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.

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