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Unlike Rockwood, the pistol was saved from the ravages of the Civil War. The pistol likely remained in the family for many years as a memento of a fallen son and brother. It may have been passed on to Major Rockwood’s older brother, Captain Newell Phelps Rockwood (1831-1916) of Company K, 14th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. Regardless of its subsequent ownership, it was clearly very carefully looked after for a great many years and remains in extremely high condition to this day and remains an extraordinary historical artifact connected to a brave Union officer killed in the ill-fated “Battle of the Crater.”
CONDITION: Excellent. 75% plus of the original high polish blue finish remains with light scratches
and some flaking from age and storage and showing smooth brown patina. The hammer and trigger retain the vast majority of the vibrant original case colors with some light fading mainly on the upper left of the hammer. 90% of the original silver plating remains on the frame and side plates. There are some minor flaked areas along the top, and both the silver and the revealed brass exhibit attractively aged patina. The markings, factory engraving, and the historic inscription all remain crisp. The grips are excellent and have nearly all of the original glossy piano varnish remaining and only minor handling and storage marks. Mechanically functions fine if you cock the hammer first. The box is fine with moderate edge wear and some flaking, and the tin is also fine with the vast majority of the dark lacquered finish remaining and the majority of the original label inside the lid with slight flaking and some staining.
As stated in “Volcanic Firearms”: “This very fine New Haven Pocket pistol has virtually all of the silver plating intact and is contained in an excellent cardboard box with an end label stating the pistol was ‘PLATED & ENGRAVED’.” An outstandingly high condition New Haven Arms Co. Volcanic pistol with stunning original blue and silver, crisp factory engraving, a sharp historical inscription from a church in New Haven to Major Theodore H. Rockwood who died while serving as an officer with the 19th Regiment U.S. Colored Troops at the historic Battle of the Crater at Petersburg and it comes in an extremely rare box and a cartridge tin; what more could a collector possibly dream of!?
Provenance: Major Thomas H. Rockwood; The Alden S. Bradstock III Collection; Property of a Gentleman.
Estimate: 100,000 - 180,000
AS PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN VOLCANIC FIREARMS PREDECESSOR TO THE WINCHESTER RIFLE BY LEWIS
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