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The revolver is mentioned among the engraved 1862 Police revolvers analyzed in “Colt’s Small
Frame .36 Caliber Percussion Pistols and ‘The Conventional Wisdom’: An Examination of the
Pistols called by Collectors The ‘1862 Police’ and the ‘Pocket Pistol of Navy Size Caliber’” by John
D. Breslin. The revolver is also notably the consecutive of 14302 inscribed from the factory for the
Metropolitan Fair in New York which also features extremely rare pearl grips. While pearl grips
were fairly popular on Colt Single Action Army and other cartridge revolvers, they are very rarely
seen on handguns during and prior to the Civil War and have only been found on a select few
percussion Colts. Mrs. Colt managed the Connecticut booth at the fair in support of Union troops.
In the dedication page of “Armsmear,” editor Henry Barnard wrote, “The following tribute to
the inventive genius of Col. Samuel Colt with a record of the wonderful change wrought in the
Hartford South Meadow by the construction of his dyke, armory and homestead, was projected
immediately after his death, in 1862...Its publication now, in the midst of new engagements quite
foreign to the work of composition, is made possible only through the hearty cooperation of Prof.
J.D. Butler of the State University of Wisconsin, who had in his own felicitous manner described
the Colt revolver, and its manufacture, after a visit to the armory in 1863.” His description can
be found in “The Colt Revolver in 1863” in the book “Colt Guns” by Martin Rywell. This revolver
may have been presented to Professor Butler during that visit to the factory as company officials
continued Samuel Colt’s promotional tactic of presenting deluxe revolvers to influential figures.
The 1976 edition of “Armsmear” notes Butler as a co-author and also lists him as one of the “gift
revolver recipients.”
James Davie Butler Jr. (1815-1905) was a clergyman, professor, and scholar who studied a wide
variety of subjects. He was born in Rutland, Vermont, and graduated from Middlebury College in
1836 and the Andover Theological Seminary in 1840. He toured Europe in 1842-1843, preached
and gave lectures in New England Congregational churches, and taught at Norwich University
and Wabash College prior to moving to Wisconsin in 1858 where he became a professor of Greek
and the humanities. Among his students and friends was John Muir (1838-1914) one of the most
significant figures in the conservation movement in the 18th century. After the reorganization
of the university in 1867, he continued to reside in Madison, Wisconsin, and remained a well-
respected scholar, writer, and lecturer. He traveled widely and wrote books on a variety of topics,
including colonial era history, pedagogy, Shakespeare, and more.
CONDITION: Exceptionally fine with 75% plus original blue finish on the barrel, bright original
blue in the cylinder flutes, and the balance of the revolver fading to smooth brown patina. The
engraving remains crisp throughout. The grips are also very fine and have attractive iridescence
and minor flakes. Mechanically excellent. The case lid has some stress cracks but is otherwise very
fine with minor storage wear. The accessories are exceptionally fine with minor storage wear.
Provenance: Professor James D. Butler; The A.M. Allan Collection; The George Repair
Collection; The Robert Q. Sutherland Collection; The Fred Sweeney Collection; The George
S. Lewis Jr. Collection.
Estimate: 100,000 - 180,000
Featured in the books The Colt
Engraving Book, Vol. I and
Samuel Colt Presents by Wilson
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