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Outstanding Presentation Cased Factory Engraved Colt Model 1849 Pocket Percussion Revolver with Hartford Address, Deluxe Grip, and R.L. Wilson Letter
LOT 209
Outstanding Presentation Cased Factory Engraved Colt Model 1849 Pocket Percussion Revolver with Hartford Address, Deluxe Grip, and R.L. Wilson Letter - Serial no. 180728., 31 cal., 4 inch octagon bbl., blue/casehardened/silver finish, deluxe factory walnut grips. This beautiful revolver is nearly as its original owner would have seen it when they first opened
the case back in 1860 on the ever of the American Civil War. It is truly one of the absolute
finest Colt Model 1849 Pocket revolvers in existence and would be near impossible to improve upon in terms of condition and eye appeal. It is accompanied by a letter from R.L. Wilson attributing it as “Gustave Young Shop” factory engraved in the No. 2 style. However, the revolver was manufactured in 1860, and Young had left for a return trip to Europe by that the time. Herman Bodenstein took his place as primary engraving contractor. The engraving may be by Bodenstein or Georg H. Sterzing who was also an engraver in Hartford. Note the similarities with the revolver shown on pages 92 and 93 of Houze’s “Colt Factory Engravers of the 19th Century” that is attributed to Sterzing. The letter indicates this revolver was selected to have been featured in “The Colt Engraving Book” by Wilson and has the proposed caption listed, but it was apparently inadvertently left out. The engraving is truly spectacular and consists of the classic Germanic scrollwork with floral and shell accents, a dog head among the scrolls on the left side of the barrel, the wolf’s head motif on the hammer, “COLTS/PATENT” hand inscribed instead of stamped on the left side of the frame, and a blank section on the back strap where inscriptions could be added. It features a 4 inch barrel with rare dovetailed blade front sight and the rare “-ADDRESS SAML COLT/HARTFORD, CT.-” barrel address in two lines. The five-shot cylinder has the classic stagecoach hold-up scene. Matching serial numbers appear on the loading lever, wedge, arbor, cylinder, barrel, frame, trigger, guard, and back strap. The factory “.” marking designating special finishing is marked above or below the lower serial number locations. The left side of the barrel lug has a “2,”“T” is marked on the face of the cylinder, and the left side of the trigger guard has a “B” and a “G.” The grip is piano varnished deluxe walnut with some very attractive figure. The case has dark blue lining, a Eley Bros. cap tin with orange label, Great Seal of the U.S. themed Colt pocket flask, balls and bullets, key, L-shaped combination tool, and blued ball/bullet mold.