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Incredible Presentation Cased Pair of Deluxe Engraved, Silver Plated Smith &
Wesson No. 2 “Old Army” Spur Trigger Revolvers with Factory Letter
-A) Smith & Wesson No. 2 “Old Army” Revolver - Serial no. 75381, 32 RF cal., 5 inch
solid rib bbl., blue/silver finish, rosewood grips. Manufactured c. late 1870 to early
1871, this is an incredible deluxe engraved, presentation cased pair of Smith & Wesson
No. 2 revolvers , which were also referred to as the “Old Army”. When they were first
introduced in 1861, these revolvers represented the pinnacle of metallic cartridge
technology through Rollin White’s patent held by the company, and they were also
the first revolver produced by Smith & Wesson in a larger caliber than .22. The earlier
.22 caliber Smith & Wessons as well as the “Old Army” remained a dominant force in
the market for quite some time, in part due to the company and White pursuing legal
action against anyone attempting to infringe on the bored through cylinder patent.
Due to their significant advantages over percussion revolvers at the time, these No.
2s were highly valued and privately purchased in large numbers for use as a sidearm
during the Civil War. They also found popularity among those heading westward to
the frontier who realized the value of having a quickly and easily reloadable revolver.
There are two factory letters included with this pair of revolvers, one dated 2006 and
one dated 2015. Both letters state that the revolvers were part of a shipment to M.W.
Robinson Co. in New York, who was Smith & Wesson’s largest distributor at the time, on
27 January 1871. The two letters differ slightly in what they list among this shipment,
one saying 51 No. 2 revolvers, while the other says 55. What they both agree on is that
the shipment included a variety of configurations of the revolver, many with deluxe
finishes and engraved. The 2006 letter mentions two revolvers with “plated breech” and
the 2015 letter mentions two with “two tone finish” and ivory grips, likely referring to
this pair. The 2006 letter mentions that this shipment was a “house cleaning” for the No.
2 inventory. These two revolvers show beautiful, matching deluxe engraving. The sides
of the frames, sides of the barrels at the breech, the sides of the muzzles, the cylinders,
the back straps, and the butts all show fantastic, exhibition quality vine-like scroll
engraving, typical of the masterful work by Young. In total, about 75% of the surfaces
are engraved with most of the scrollwork on a punchdot background. Both revolvers
have the standard Smith & Wesson address on top of the barrel rib, and they both have
the patent dates in a band partially around the cylinder. They each have their respective
matchings serial numbers marked on the butts and inside the right grip panels. The
“A” revolver has the assembly number “.6” on the left of the grip frame, front face of the
cylinder, and rear face of the barrel lug. The “B” revolver has the assembly number “J1”
in the same three locations. They are both fitted with a German silver blade front sight,
a notch rear sight on top of the cylinder stop, and a pair of smooth rosewood grips.
Included with the revolvers is a hardwood case with blank brass presentation plaque
inlaid in the lid and fitted for both revolvers. The interior is lined with light blue velvet
and has multiple other small compartments as well as a key, cleaning rod, and
a small glass oil bottle.
CONDITION: Very fine, retains 50% plus of the original blue finish with the balance
having thinned to mostly a grey patina. 75% plus of the original silver finish remains,
having thinned in a few areas to show the brass beneath. The engraving remains crisp
throughout. The grips are excellent with only the slightest handling marks and almost
all the original varnish. Mechanically excellent. The case is excellent with a few scattered
light handling/storage marks on the exterior and some mild wear on the interior.
B) Smith & Wesson No. 2 “Old Army” Revolver - Serial no. 76487, 32 RF cal., 5 inch
solid rib bbl., blue/silver finish, rosewood grips. See “A”.
CONDITION: Very fine, retains 50% of the original blue finish, more prominent in
sheltered areas, with the balance mostly a grey-brown patina and some light flash
pitting. 80% plus of the original silver finish remains with a few areas having thinned
to faintly show some of the brass beneath. The engraving remains crisp throughout.
The grips are excellent with only the slightest handling marks and essentially all the
original varnish. Mechanically excellent. A fantastic cased pair of deluxe engraved Smith
& Wesson “Old Army” revolvers!
Provenance: The Tom Selleck Collection.
Estimate: 30,000 - 50,000
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