EXTRAORDINARY SMITH & WESSON 3RD MODEL DOUBLE ACTION REVOLVER WITH FABULOUS TIFFANY GRIP.

EXTRAORDINARY SMITH & WESSON 3RD MODEL DOUBLE ACTION REVOLVER WITH FABULOUS TIFFANY GRIP. SN 214914. Cal. 38 S&W. Spectacular revolver, nickel finish with 4″ keyhole shape bbl, half moon front sight and 2-line Smith & Wesson address and patent dates. It has 5-shot fluted cyl with top break action and square back trigger guard. This revolver has the extraordinarily rare Tiffany sterling silver grip which overlays the entire frame. Grip has an elliptical shaped buttcap with extended heel and is cast in relief depicting a Buffalo Bill style character on horseback shooting charging buffalo with a revolver on the left side and a similar rider chasing buffalo with a revolver in each hand. The entirety of both vignettes are surrounded by relief foliate & floral patterns. Front of grip, just behind trigger opening is marked “TIFFANY & CO / 7580 M 7649 / STERLING SILVER” with some scratched initials in between. The buttcap is relief carved with large intertwined initials “GF” for Giraud Foster (1850-1945) noted resorter, financier, philanthropist, and aristocrat of ‘Bellefontaine’,Lenox, MA. Accompanied by a notarized affidavit listing the chain of possession of this gun through the Foster family, a 1995 dated letter of appraisal by R.L. Wilson and a Smith & Wesson factory letter identifying this firearm as a .38 Double Action 3rd Model which was shipped Nov. 22, 1888 to Tiffany & Co. with nickel finish & checkered hard rubber grips, along with another identical revolver. There were two additional Safety Hammerless revolvers also in this shipment. Also accompanied by general information about the life and times of Giraud Foster. PROVENANCE: Commissioned by Giraud Foster in 1888 and handed down directly through Family descendants until its offering at this auction by his great-grandson. Notarized affidavit signed by Giraud van Nest Foster Lorber. CONDITION: Fine to very fine. Grip is very fine with one small dent in heel with sharp relief engraving that retains great detail; bbl & cyl retain 88-90% orig nickel. Mechanics are fine, strong bore with moderate pitting. 4-45029 JR347 (50,000-80,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2012

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
	2295	$57,500.00	EXTRAORDINARY SMITH & WESSON 3RD MODEL DOUBLE ACTION REVOLVER WITH FABULOUS TIFFANY GRIP. SN 214914. Cal. 38 S&W. Spectacular revolver, nickel finish with 4″ keyhole shape bbl, half moon front sight and 2-line Smith & Wesson address and patent dates. It has 5-shot fluted cyl with top break action and square back trigger guard. This revolver has the extraordinarily rare Tiffany sterling silver grip which overlays the entire frame. Grip has an elliptical shaped buttcap with extended heel and is cast in relief depicting a Buffalo Bill style character on horseback shooting charging buffalo with a revolver on the left side and a similar rider chasing buffalo with a revolver in each hand. The entirety of both vignettes are surrounded by relief foliate & floral patterns. Front of grip, just behind trigger opening is marked “TIFFANY & CO / 7580 M 7649 / STERLING SILVER” with some scratched initials in between. The buttcap is relief carved with large intertwined initials “GF” for Giraud Foster (1850-1945) noted resorter, financier, philanthropist, and aristocrat of ‘Bellefontaine’,Lenox, MA. Accompanied by a notarized affidavit listing the chain of possession of this gun through the Foster family, a 1995 dated letter of appraisal by R.L. Wilson and a Smith & Wesson factory letter identifying this firearm as a .38 Double Action 3rd Model which was shipped Nov. 22, 1888 to Tiffany & Co. with nickel finish & checkered hard rubber grips, along with another identical revolver. There were two additional Safety Hammerless revolvers also in this shipment. Also accompanied by general information about the life and times of Giraud Foster. PROVENANCE: Commissioned by Giraud Foster in 1888 and handed down directly through Family descendants until its offering at this auction by his great-grandson. Notarized affidavit signed by Giraud van Nest Foster Lorber. CONDITION: Fine to very fine. Grip is very fine with one small dent in heel with sharp relief engraving that retains great detail; bbl & cyl retain 88-90% orig nickel. Mechanics are fine, strong bore with moderate pitting. 4-45029 JR347 (50,000-80,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2012 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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