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LOT 3156
Scarce Colt U.S. Navy Contract Model
1851 Percussion Revolver with Iron Trigger Guard and Back Strap - Serial no. 90744, 36 percussion cal., 7 1/2 inch octagon bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. This Colt Fourth Model
1851 Revolver was manufactured in 1859. The revolver has the distinctive Fourth Model large rounded trigger
guard, recoil shield with no capping channel and ‘Black Navy’ blued iron trigger guard and back strap. The revolver has a blue
barrel and cylinder with case-hardened loading lever, frame and hammer. The one-piece walnut grip has an oil finish. The cylinder is roll-engraved with the Texas Navy battle scene. The barrel has a brass cone front sight and the top flat is marked: “-ADDRESS SAML COLT HARTFORD CT.-” . The left side of the
frame is roll-stamped: “COLTS/PATENT/U.S.” A small “G” Colt inspection mark is stamped on the left side of the trigger guard at the junction of the frame
and grip and a “B” is stamped on the left front trigger guard bow. The top of the cylinder is roll-stamped with “COLT”S PATENT NO.” followed by the serial
number. The full serial number is stamped on the barrel, frame, trigger guard and back strap. The partial serial number, “0744”, is stamped on the top of the loading lever. All of the
serial numbers match. The revolver has no visible Ordnance or Navy inspection or property marks other than “U.S.” on the left side of the frame. This revolver is one of the final group of 600 Colt M1851 Navy revolvers delivered to the Navy by Colt in September 1859. Approximately 2640 M1851 “Black Navy” revolvers were purchased by the U.S.N. between June 1856 and September 1859.
CONDITION: Fine. The revolver barrel and cylinder have a smooth, blue-brown, patina with nearly 20% of the original blue finish visible in protected areas. The loading lever, frame and hammer retain 60%
of the original casehardened finish with strong case colors. The trigger guard and back strap have been lightly cleaned and are satin gray with some of the original blue finish visible in protected areas. The cylinder has nearly all of the roll-engraved naval scene intact with several small areas of pitting on the forward portion of the cylinder. The rear face of the cylinder and percussion nipples have light-moderate flash pitting. All of the cylinder safety pins remain intact. Markings are sharp. The grips are fine with light handling wear. Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 7,000 - 10,000
LOT 3157
Identified Civil War Presentation Cased Colt Model 1855 “Root” Sidehammer
Percussion Pocket Revolver with Documentation - Serial no. 7991, 28 cal., 3 1/2 inch octagon bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. This Colt
Model 1855 Sidehammer Pocket Revolver or “Root” revolver was manufactured in 1856. The revolver has an octagon barrel
and five-shot cylinder and has a high polish blue finish with
casehardened loading lever and hammer. The one-piece walnut grip has a high gloss piano finish. The barrel has the second style marking with pointing hand and
“COLT’S PATENT/1855” followed by “ADDRESS COL. COLT/HARTFORD CT.U.S.A.” in two lines. The cylinder is
roll engraved with the “cabin and Indian fight scene”. The serial number is located on the underside of the
barrel, on the cylinder, and on the butt. All of the serial numbers match. The revolver is complete with a
mahogany English style casing with maroon velvet lining and five compartments. The case contains: an Eley
Bros. cap tin with green paper label, a brass two-cavity bullet mold with “COLTS/PATENT” on the iron sprue
cutter, a powder flask with green leather cover and brass top, and steel screwdriver with wooden handle. The
revolver came from Massachusetts and is complete with a C.D.V. of the original owner Thomas J. Parker. The C.D.V. shows Parker in a dress coat with sergeant’s stripes and is inscribed on the back: “Presented by T. J. Parker now at Liberty, Va. April 15th 1864 to his Father Wm Parker now at New Boston, NH.” Documentation with the revolver includes Parker’s service records. Parker’s records indicate that he enlisted in Co. B of the 32nd Massachusetts Infantry on November 18, 1861, for three years. He was a farmer from New Hampshire before the war. He was promoted to sergeant in 1863 and was wounded in action on September 30, 1864, but returned to his unit in January 1865. In February 1865, Parker was promoted to 1st lieutenant in Co. A of the 28th Massachusetts Infantry. Shortly after returning home from leave to visit his family, he was shot on March 25, 1865, in the right side at an engagement listed as “Watkin’s House” near Petersburg, Virginia. Lieutenant Thomas J. Parker died from the gunshot wound on April 21, 1865, at Annapolis, Maryland, two weeks after the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House and the same day President Lincoln’s funeral train left Washington, D.C., in a circuitous route back to Springfield, Illinois. Soon Parker’s family would have also been mourning.
CONDITION: Excellent. The revolver retains 90% of the bright original high polish blue finish. There is some flaking and scattered light pitting on the right side of the frame adjacent to the cylinder and on the right side of the barrel. The cylinder has 80% of the blue finish and 95% of the cylinder scene. There is light to moderate flash pitting on the percussion nipples and rear face of the cylinder. The casehardened loading lever, hammer, cylinder pin and trigger have 90% of the original finish with strong case colors. The grip is excellent and has nearly all of the original varnish. Markings are crisp. The case is fine. The exterior has only minor handling and storage marks. The interior lining is faded and has compression marks on the top and bottom with some minor tears from the front sight. The cap tin and flask are in fine condition. The bullet mold has a number of dents in one side from use as a hammer; the sprue cutter is bright, and the mold shows minimal wear. The screwdriver has a number of light dents in the handle but is in good overall condition. The C.D.V. of Thomas Parker is in fine overall condition with minor wear. This is an exceptional example of a high condition cased Colt Model 1855 Sidehammer Pocket revolver that is identified to a specific Civil War soldier with extensive documentation.
Provenance: Lieutenant Thomas J. Parker of the 28th Massachusetts Infantry; Property of a Gentleman.
158 Estimate: 6,000 - 9,000