RARE CASED COLT MODEL 1851 LONDON NAVY WITH UPPER CANADA MARKINGS.

RARE CASED COLT MODEL 1851 LONDON NAVY WITH UPPER CANADA MARKINGS. SN 28880. Cal. 36. Usual configuration with 7-1/2″ oct bbl, brass pin front sight and 1-line London address with arrows. Left side of frame has the English style “COLT’S PATENT” and it has the London domed screws. Left side of bbl lug & cyl are stamped with British proofs. The large guard steel trigger guard & back strap contain a 1-pc walnut grip with indecipherable numbers in back strap channel. Left side of grip is stamped, upside down, “U C / C / 25” signifying issue to the 25th Volunteer of Company C of the Upper Canada Militia. Prior to 1854 Canada drew its military arms, accoutrements & supplies from the British government. However by 1854 the British Army was heavily engaged in the Crimean War and other outposts and requested that the government of Canada take over some of their own defense. Accordingly, in 1855, a commission was formed to set up a Militia Department to purchase arms, ammunition & equipment. In 1855 the commission traveled to England where they purchased 800 Colt Model 1851 Navy revolvers along with other arms & equipment. The grips of those revolvers issued to Upper & Lower Canada were marked in accordance with a general order of May 16, 1856. Records indicate that there were 556 members of the Upper Canada Militia of which Company C, 1st Wentworth Troop, numbered 53. The Lower Canada Militia had 255 members. Immediately following the Revolutionary War approx. 40,000 American colonists loyal to the British Crown emigrated to Canada. With the influx of this large number of new citizens the country was divided into two new provinces, Upper & Lower Canada. Upper Canada is the Canadian West, now the Province of Ontario and Lower Canada is in the East and became the Province of Quebec. Revolvers with either of these markings are quite rare and seldom encountered in the U.S. Accompanied by an English oak casing with empty medallion in the lid. It is lined in green velvet and compartmented in bottom for the revolver; a Dixon Navy size bag shaped flask; a brass picket ball style nutcracker mold; an orig wood handle turn screw; a brass tube oiler with British inspector marks and broad arrow; a reproduction L-shaped nipple wrench and a reproduction lacquered tin of Eley’s caps. PROVENANCE: Fred B. McDonald Estate Collection. CONDITION: Good, all matching although the grip number is unknown. No orig finish remains with the bbl a mottled dark attic patina with fine pitting. The rammer retains silvered case colors with spots of light pitting. Frame & hammer are a dark attic patina and the cylinder is a cleaned medium gray patina with traces of the Ormsby Naval battle scene. Grip frame is matching mottled gray/brown patina with light pin prick pitting. Grip is sound with lightly chipped edges showing heavy wear and dark oil staining. Mechanics are fine, strong bore with bright lands, pitted in the grooves. Case has a couple of grain checks in lid with the lid somewhat warped with handling & storage nicks & scratches and retains 85-90% orig varnish. Interior is heavily faded and moderately soiled with damage from the front sight and hammer spur. One partition had been relocated indicating that this case may have been for another revolver, probably an English percussion revolver with more narrow, rounded grip. Flask is fine showing heavy use. Mold is equally fine with a dark brass patina; other implements are also fine. 4-41395 JR66 (3,000-5,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2011

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
	2298	$3,450.00	RARE CASED COLT MODEL 1851 LONDON NAVY WITH UPPER CANADA MARKINGS. SN 28880. Cal. 36. Usual configuration with 7-1/2″ oct bbl, brass pin front sight and 1-line London address with arrows. Left side of frame has the English style “COLT’S PATENT” and it has the London domed screws. Left side of bbl lug & cyl are stamped with British proofs. The large guard steel trigger guard & back strap contain a 1-pc walnut grip with indecipherable numbers in back strap channel. Left side of grip is stamped, upside down, “U C / C / 25” signifying issue to the 25th Volunteer of Company C of the Upper Canada Militia. Prior to 1854 Canada drew its military arms, accoutrements & supplies from the British government. However by 1854 the British Army was heavily engaged in the Crimean War and other outposts and requested that the government of Canada take over some of their own defense. Accordingly, in 1855, a commission was formed to set up a Militia Department to purchase arms, ammunition & equipment. In 1855 the commission traveled to England where they purchased 800 Colt Model 1851 Navy revolvers along with other arms & equipment. The grips of those revolvers issued to Upper & Lower Canada were marked in accordance with a general order of May 16, 1856. Records indicate that there were 556 members of the Upper Canada Militia of which Company C, 1st Wentworth Troop, numbered 53. The Lower Canada Militia had 255 members. Immediately following the Revolutionary War approx. 40,000 American colonists loyal to the British Crown emigrated to Canada. With the influx of this large number of new citizens the country was divided into two new provinces, Upper & Lower Canada. Upper Canada is the Canadian West, now the Province of Ontario and Lower Canada is in the East and became the Province of Quebec. Revolvers with either of these markings are quite rare and seldom encountered in the U.S. Accompanied by an English oak casing with empty medallion in the lid. It is lined in green velvet and compartmented in bottom for the revolver; a Dixon Navy size bag shaped flask; a brass picket ball style nutcracker mold; an orig wood handle turn screw; a brass tube oiler with British inspector marks and broad arrow; a reproduction L-shaped nipple wrench and a reproduction lacquered tin of Eley’s caps. PROVENANCE: Fred B. McDonald Estate Collection. CONDITION: Good, all matching although the grip number is unknown. No orig finish remains with the bbl a mottled dark attic patina with fine pitting. The rammer retains silvered case colors with spots of light pitting. Frame & hammer are a dark attic patina and the cylinder is a cleaned medium gray patina with traces of the Ormsby Naval battle scene. Grip frame is matching mottled gray/brown patina with light pin prick pitting. Grip is sound with lightly chipped edges showing heavy wear and dark oil staining. Mechanics are fine, strong bore with bright lands, pitted in the grooves. Case has a couple of grain checks in lid with the lid somewhat warped with handling & storage nicks & scratches and retains 85-90% orig varnish. Interior is heavily faded and moderately soiled with damage from the front sight and hammer spur. One partition had been relocated indicating that this case may have been for another revolver, probably an English percussion revolver with more narrow, rounded grip. Flask is fine showing heavy use. Mold is equally fine with a dark brass patina; other implements are also fine. 4-41395 JR66 (3,000-5,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2011 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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