Image Lot Price Description







3154
$0.00

VERY EARLY AND SPECIAL CASED SAMUEL COLT PRESENTATION MODEL 1849 POCKET PERCUSSION REVOLVER PRESENTED TO THE ORGANIZER OF THE WORLD FAMOUS CRYSTAL PALACE EXHIBITION IN LONDON.

SN 36651. Cal. 31. Blue and color case hardened with 5″ oct bbl, brass pin front sight and two line “New York City” address with brackets. Left side the frame has tiny “COLTS PATENT” and the small guard silver plated brass trigger guard and backstrap contain a one piece walnut grip with last four digits of matching serial number in the back strap channel. Back strap is engraved in old English and period script “Presented To Mr. G. Whiting / by Col. Saml Colt 1851”. Mr. Whiting was the organizer of the world renowned Crystal Palace Exhibition. Accompanied by a rare, special made brown velvet lined English oak casing with brass medallion in lid and swinging English latches on the front, with a mortised brass lock and round escutcheon in the front. Bottom is compartmented for the revolver with a recess for the cylinder, a single sided revolver flask, a two cavity brass Colt’s Patent mold without sprue cutter, an L-shaped nipple wrench and an early lacquered tin of Ely’s caps. Covered right rear compartment contains cast lead bullets and balls. This exact cased set is pictured in color as Fig. 3 on pg. 252 of COLT’S POCKET ’49, Jordan & Watt. Back strap of this revolver is pictured as Fig. 2 on pg. 231 of the referenced publication. This casing is a special made for presentation at the London Exhibit at the Crystal Palace and is one of the first known uses of the “Col. Saml Colt” wording on a firearm presentation, possibly even before he used the title in the US. CONDITION: Revolver is very good, all matching including wedge and grip. Bbl retains 60-70% thin, orig blue turning plum over the top. Rammer retains smoky case colors, stronger on the left side of the pivot. Frame retains smoky, thin, faded case colors with unusual polishing marks. Trigger guard and back strap retain strong orig silver plating with the exposed areas a medium mustard patina. Cylinder is a gray-brown patina and retains about 75-80% stagecoach holdup scene. Grip is sound showing moderate edge wear with light nicks and scratches and retains about 85% orig varnish. Mechanics are fine. Strong bright bore with scattered pitting. Case is sound with usual handling and storage nicks & scratches and retains most of its orig varnish. Interior is moderately to heavily faded with moderate to heavy soil in the bottom, partitions are sound. Flask is fine and retains about 50-60% orig finish. Mold is crisp and appears unused with a few minor nicks and scratches. Cap tin is good. 49564-6 JR (20,000-30,000) – Lot 3154


Auction: Firearms - October 2015
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.