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LOT 115
Phenomenal, Exceedingly Rare Factory Master Engraved and Gold Inlaid
Colt Police Positive Special Double Action Revolver with Carved Pearl Grips
and Factory Letter - Serial no. 379159, 38 S&W special cal., 4 inch round bbl., blue
finish, carved pearl grips. The factory engraving is undoubtedly by Master Engraver
Wilbur Glahn, six gold inlays, and pearl Colt medallion grips decorated with a relief
carved steer head, this Colt Police Positive Special DA revolver makes for a striking,
highly sought after, and rare pre-World War II decorative arm. According to noted Colt
historian R.L. Wilson, Colt factory records account for about 325 Police Positive Special
revolvers engraved and less than 20 of this model had gold inlay.
The revolver has Glahn’s distinctive style of engraving with panels of scrollwork on the
barrel, frame, cylinder, trigger guard, and back strap. The six gold inlays are floral petals
equally divided on each side of the frame. These are unusual and rare features, in terms
of the existence of gold inlays at all and based on what and where the gold inlays are.
Colt generally restricted gold inlay to barrel bands and inscriptions. The accompanying
factory letter states the revolver was shipped to F.C. Rossetti of Buenos Aires, Argentina,
on May 21, 1929 and confirms the 4 inch barrel in .38 caliber, blue finish, pearl stocks,
and factory engraving. (No mention of the gold inlay, although writer believes it to be
authentic.) This was a single gun shipment. The revolver is fitted with a replacement set
of pearl Colt medallion grips featuring a relief carved steer head on the right panel.
There are other known Colt arms similarly adorned with Glahn’s most distinctive and
rare embellishment. First, there is Police Positive revolver serial number 223102. The
scroll flourishes on each cylinder chamber is nearly identical to the pattern featured
on this revolver. The differences are in the number and styling of the inlay. On the
Police Positive eight “V” shaped inlays replace the six floral petals adorning this revolver.
The second Colt arm that shares a similar embellishment is a Colt Single Action Army
Revolver serial no. 352655 Rock Island Auction had the pleasure of selling in May 2022
(lot 199, $411,250). The four gold inlays are very comparable to the floral petal design
featured on this revolver. Both the Police Positive and SAA were shipped to Buenos
Aires, Argentina, retailer Alfredo Gottling. Gottling’s shop, “La Portena,” catered to
the elite in Argentina and thus was a key buyer of some of the most extravagant Colt
revolvers and other fine arms and in fact received a large portion of the known factory
engraved and gold inlaid Colt revolvers. Like these two revolver, our subject revolver
was shipped to Argentina. The Police Positive left the factory in 1927 and the SAA
shipped in March 1929, a few months before this revolver shipped. A third similar arm
is Police Positive Special no. 378539 which Rock Island Auction had the privilege of
offering in our December 2023 sale (lot 142, $29,375). Compared to our subject revolver
the scrollwork on no. 378539 covers less surface area but has the same six gold inlays
and engraving pattern on the cylinder. Shipped to the prominent Chicago retailer
Von Lengerke & Antoine, no. 378539 too was intended to be marketed to
members of high society.
CONDITION: Excellent, retaining 98% plus original blue finish with light muzzle wear,
faint cylinder drag line, crisp engraving and markings, and bright gold inlay. The
replacement grips are very fine with a couple slight surface chips, crisp carving, and
highly attractive fiery colors. Mechanically excellent. This is an incredibly rare Pre-War
Colt Police Positive Special revolver engraved and gold inlaid by one of Colt’s master
engravers, Wilbur Glahn, shipped just before the Great Depression griped the nation. Its
combination of rare features and high condition make it a crown jewel in Colt double
action revolver collecting and in the decorative arts. A masterwork of firearms artistry
that is worthy of the finest collection.
Provenance: The Charles Marx Collection.
Estimate: 14,000 - 22,500
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