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EXTREMELY RARE AND VERY FINE CASED PAIR OF GUSTAV

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:30,000.00 USD Estimated At:60,000.00 - 80,000.00 USD
EXTREMELY RARE AND VERY FINE CASED PAIR OF GUSTAV

YOUNG ENGRAVED COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY REVOLVERS. Cal. 36. S# 92264, 92280. Bbls. 7 1/2". This pair is featured in the full color page in “The Colt Engraving Book”. Guns are beautifully engraved en suite w/ exceptions of the right frames & left bbl. housings which have same curls to scrolls but terminations counterclockwise to each other, scrolls on bbl. housing terminate into Indian’s head on 92264, grotesque face on 92280. Revolvers are in standard configuration made late 1859 or early 1860 w/ 7.5" oct. bbl., 1 line Hartford address. There are a handful of other exquisitely engraved & ivory gripped revolvers in this serial range. S# 92286 was given to William H Vanderbilt. The Vanderbilt gun has virtually identical engraving except the bbl. housing scroll terminates in the more commonly seen dog’s head. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: accompanied by their burgundy velvet lined mahogany Colt casing w/ diamond shaped brass lock escutcheon. Casing is compartmented for the two revolvers, angled spout flask w/ double sided eagle & panoply of arms design, large green label cap tin, paper wrapped pistol balls, cartridge pack, & 2 cavity bullet mold. Like so many cased pairs made at the onset of the Civil War, one gun was carried & used & the other remained in the case. The gun that was carried also has a slightly different inset dovetailed front sight, both front sights are original & possibly the German silver blade wore & was replaced w/ this pinched iron variety on 92264. Regardless, rarely offered are such a beautiful cased pair of deluxe engraved & ivory Hartford navies. Appraisal letter from Martin J. Lane. CONDITION: S# 92280 is extremely fine retaining 95% plus bright blue on bbl., most muted case color on frame & loading assembly. Cylinder retains about 10% bright blue w/ balance dark plum/silver. Trigger guard & backstrap retain about 90% original silver. Original smooth "certifiable antique" ivory grips are excellent & well fit. Mechanically fine w/ crisp bright bore. S# 92264 is fine, crisp engraving & markings w/ traces of original finish in protected areas. Trigger guard & backstrap retain about 90% original silver w/ well fit smooth original ivory grips. Mechanically fine w/ crisp rifled bore. Case is sound & solid w/ an age crack in the lid. Case retains much of its original factory varnish w/ moderate cosmetic handling & storage blemishes. Interior is fading w/ soiling & wear from front sights & hammer spurs. Flask is extremely fine, retaining virtually all its original finish. The “Colt’s Patent” 2 cavity mold retains much of its original bright blue but is not correct for this casing as it is marked for a 31 caliber pocket model. The cap tin, rolled pistol balls, & cartridge pack are all good. The compartment for the L-shaped screwdriver is empty though pictured in Colt Engraving Book. (01-19957/JS). BOTH ANTIQUE. $60,000-80,000.