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LOT 3214
Well-Documented and Historic Exceptional Presentation Cased
Deluxe Factory Engraved Colt Model 1862 Police Percussion
Revolver with Extremely Rare Pearl Grips and Presentation
Inscription to Professor J.D. Butler from Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Mfg.
Co. - Serial no. 14303, 36 cal., 6 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened
finish, pearl grips. This incredibly rare cased presentation revolver was
manufactured in 1862, the year of Samuel Colt’s death, and was presented
by Colt’s company to Professor J.D. Butler who played an important part
in the publication of “Armsmear: The Home, The Arm, and the Armory of
Samuel Colt, A Memorial” begun in 1862 and published in 1866. The model
is notable as “Col. Colt’s Patent New Model Revolving Police Pistol” was the
last new design released during Samuel Colt’s lifetime and was among the
most advanced revolvers of the period, incorporating a sleek round barrel
fitted with the improved loading lever also used on the Model 1860 Army
and the combination of the Model 1849 pocket sized frame with a rebated
and fluted cylinder in .36 caliber allowing for greater power than Colt’s
prior pocket revolvers.
This revolver features extensive factory scroll engraving with floral accents
and beaded backgrounds, an eagle head above the wedge on the left,
shell and fan accents, wavy line borders, wolf’s head motif on the hammer
along with eight dots on the spur (often said to represent the number of
days the engraver spent on the gun), hand inscribed “COLT’S/PATENT” on
the left side of the frame, the one-line New York barrel address in a panel
on top of the barrel, the patent marking in one cylinder flute, “2” and “36
CAL” on the left side of the trigger guard, matching visible serial number,
very scarce two-piece pearl grips, and the historic factory presentation
inscription “Prof. J.D. Butler/From Colt’s P. F. A. M. Co” down the back strap.
The revolver is in an extremely rare special two-tone maple and rosewood
presentation case with a brass lid escutcheon and purple velvet lined
interior with a decorative border inside the lid. The case contains an Eley
Bro. cap tin, blued ball/bullet mold marked “COLT’S/PATENT” and “36 P.”,
blued L-shaped combination screwdriver and nipple wrench, two cartridge
packs marked “EXPRESSLY FOR/COL. COLT’S PATENT/NEW MODEL/
REVOLVING/POLICE PISTOL”, a small “COLTS/PATENT” powder flask with the
eagle and shield design on both sides, and lead balls and bullets.
This revolver has been well-known for many years and is gun number
135 shown on page 214 of “Samuel Colt Presents” (1961) by R.L. Wilson
and is also featured in “The Colt Engraving Book Volume One” (2001) on
page 188. In the first publication, Wilson wrote: “Professor James Davis
[sic] Butler (born 1815); American educator; graduated from Middleburg
Collection (1836); was Professor of Ancient Languages at Wabash College
in Indiana and the University of Wisconsin; mentioned in Armsmear, a book
written for Mrs. Samuel Colt as a memorial to her husband.” In “The Book
of Colt Engraving Volume One” he wrote, “Butler was instrumental in the
publication of Armsmear; he is credited with authoring the section on the
company’s firearms and their manufacture. The pearl grip is an extreme
rarity, as are the engraving on the cylinder, the early style of Young scroll in
overall profusion, and the scrolls on the barrel at the muzzle.” On page 122
of “Silk & Steel: Women at Arms,” Wilson wrote again about the revolver:
“Among other gifts of guns presented at” Elizabeth Colt’s “direction was a
police model to the author of the technical section of Armsmear, Professor
J.D. Butler.” Although the inscription indicated it was from the factory, he
concluded “the impetus for the gift was Elizabeth Hart Jarvis Colt.”
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