Page 107 - 4094-BOOK2

LOT 1112
Iconic, Rare, Historic, Well-Documented Antique Factory Engraved
and “Marcelino Baca” Inscribed New Mexico Territory Shipped Colt
Sheriff’s Model Frontier Six Shooter Single Action Army Revolver with
Pearl Grips, Holster, and Factory Letters Featured in Several Noted
Publications - Serial no. 172740, 44-40 cal., 3 1/2 inch round bbl., nickel
finish, pearl grips. The factory letters list this revolver in .44-40 with a 3 1/2
inch barrel, nickel finish, pearl grips, factory engraving, and “name Marcelino
Baca also engraved on back strap.” It was sold and shipped to E.J. Post & Co.
in Albuquerque, New Mexico territory, and was the sole gun of this type in
the shipment on December 6, 1898. The revolver features extensive scroll
engraving with beaded backgrounds along with line and wavy line and dot
accents, a rounded blade front sight, the two-line “COLT’S PT. F. A. MFG. Co./
HARTFORD. CT. U.S.A.” on top of the barrel, “COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER”
just barely fitting in an engraved panel on the left side of the short 3 1/2 inch
barrel, “PAT. SEPT. 19. 1871/JULY 2. 72. JAN. 19. 75.” in an engraved panel on
the left side of the frame followed by the encircled Rampant Colt trademark,
“Marcelino Baca” distinctly inscribed on the back strap, smooth pearl grips,
assembly number “33/.” marked on the loading gate, and the matching
serial number “172740” marked on the frame, trigger guard, and butt. It is
accompanied by a brown lever Mexican double loop holster with tooled
floral patterns and “32A” marked on the back. Sheriff’s Model revolvers in
.44-40 are very rare. Page 338 of “The Official Record of the Colt Single Action
Army Revolver, 1873-1895” by the Wilkersons and Hoyt lists just 122 “plain
revolvers without ejectors” in the 1-164100 serial number range, of which
only 10 had nickel finish and 3 1/2 inch barrels. On the following page, they
notably list only five “engraved revolvers without ejectors” in .44-40 within
the same serial number range and none in this barrel length. 105