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SIMILAR EXAMPLE
PICTURED AND
DESCRIBED IN
THE BOOK COLT
ENGRAVING BY WILSON
Macker, a resident of Boston, received her patent on her “Improvement in Alloys to Imitate
Silver” on January 23, 1872. The patent notes “This compound will not tarnish with age or
weather” which this now roughly century and a half old pistol proves, and an alloy like this
would have been desirable for making pocket pistols since they are prone to being exposed
to heavy use and silver plating would naturally tarnish and flake under such conditions.
Unfortunately, none of the details of the genesis of this limited run are known at this time
beyond the reference in “The Science Record for 1873” and the vague Colt ledger listing.
The American Sterling Co. of Connecticut (with an office in New York City) was rather short
lived. The Glastonbury factory outside of Hartford that they used was previously operated
by Curtisville Mfg. Co. 1854-1865 and was taken over by Thomas J. Vail c. 1865-1869. These
companies manufactured German silver and plated flatware there. American Sterling Co.
took over from Vail’s trustee Leavitt Hunt in 1871, and Hunt is listed as the president of the
new company. Though they advertised their new metal as not plated in 1872 and 1873, their
later advertisements noted electro silver plated flatware made of their “greatly improved”
alloy. Newspaper advertisements indicate the American Sterling Co.’s production at factory
at Glastonbury, just outside of Hartford, had ended around late 1877, and additional
publications indicate the company and factory was purchased at auction by J.B. Williams
and William S. Williams in 1878 and ran as Williams Bros. Co. until 1950. They also used the
American Sterling Co. as a brand name.
CONDITION: Fine overall, with scattered minor tool type dings and dents, and crisp
engraving. There is a hairline casting flaw crack lightly visible in the upper left edge of the
frame/hammer channel. The grips are fine with some hairline age-related cracks and light
handling marks. Mechanically excellent.
Provenance: The Charles Marx Collection.
Estimate: 20,000 - 30,000
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