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LOT 1170
Exceptional Dubuque, Iowa, Police Department Marked Colt New Service Model
Double Action Revolver with Factory Letter - Serial no. 348990, 357 Magnum cal., 4
inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. Manufactured in 1940, the included factory letter
confirms the revolver’s configuration, including a
four inch barrel in .357 caliber, blue finish, types
of grips not listed, furnished with a three-pound
trigger pull, along with an engraved “D.P.D.” marking on the
butt with all revolvers in the shipment also numbered “1”
through “38”, when sent as a part of factory order number
“54” in a shipment of 38 revolvers to Kretschmer-Tredway
Company in Dubuque, Iowa, on March 28, 1941. Features factory
reduced height fixed blade front and serrated top-strap notch rear sights, The two-line Colt
address and patent dates roll-marked on top of the four inch barrel with the model and caliber
designations on the left side, Rampant Colt on the left of the frame, “triangle/VP” and “Y” on the left side of the trigger guard, along
with “D.P.D.” and “No.38” stamped on the bottom of the grip frame and a pinned lanyard hole. Matching serial numbers visible on the
frame and crane. Fitted with a pair of replacement checkered walnut grips with silver Colt medallion inserts.
CONDITION: Exceptionally fine, retaining 85% original bright blue finish with some light edge and high-point wear, barrel fitment/file
marks on the front face of the frame, some minor cylinder drag lines, some fading on the grip straps with some smooth brown patina and silvering, and some
minor handling marks. The grips are fine with some light compression wear in the defined checkering. Mechanically excellent.
Provenance: The Charles Marx Collection.
Estimate: 3,000 - 5,000
LOT 1169
Factory Inscribed and
Pearl Gripped Colt Police
Positive Special Double
Action Revolver, Presented to an Akron, Ohio Officer Killed
in the Line of Duty, with Factory Letter and Consignor Research - Serial no. 341230, 38
Special cal., 5 inch round bbl., nickel finish, pearl grips. Per
the included factory letter, this revolver was shipped as a
single item to Frank J. Ross(sic), Secretary of Police in Akron,
Ohio on April 9th, 1928. The letter calls out the nickel finish, pearl
grips, and includes the note “Factory Engraved: The initials W.G.H.(sic) are engraved on the butt of
the revolver”; we believe “W.G.H.” and “Ross” to be a recording or transcription error. Consignor notes
and research indicate the “W.H.G.” inscription on the butt of this revolver as intended for William
H. Grubbs, a patrolman with the Akron police department. Born in Kentucky in 1893, Grubbs
joined the Army in 1913, separating after seven years of service at the rank of Master Sergeant.
Moving to Akron after his discharge, he worked briefly for Goodyear Tire & Rubber before joining
the police department in July of 1920. The exact incident that prompted the presentation of the revolver is unknown, though Grubbs was involved in some
newsworthy incidents in 1928, including the shooting of a burglar (a multi-time custody escapee, his final escape attempt interrupted by a shot from
Grubbs) in January, the live re-capture of a bootlegger who managed to walk out of police captivity in March, and Prohibition related arrests. It also
isn’t noted if this revolver was carried as a service weapon, or if it was retained for private use. Early in the morning of May 6th, 1929, a little more than a
year after the shipment of the revolver, Patrolman Grubbs stopped two men suspected of a recent holdup of a local restaurant, one of whom produced
a revolver and fired two shots before fleeing, inflicting wounds on Grubbs that would prove fatal after a four-day long struggle in the hospital. Grubbs
returned fire with one shot from the ground as the men fled, but it didn’t hit the mark, requiring a multi-week manhunt to find the gunman and his
accomplice. The shooter, identified as Arthur “Peanuts” Maul, 24 years old, would be convicted in July and executed via electric chair in November of the
same year. The man who ordered the revolver, Frank J. Boss, was at the time a civilian employee of the Akron Police Department, and would become Chief
of Police in 1930. Blade front and notch rear sights, with the two-line address and patent markings on top of the barrel, model and caliber markings on
the left side, “VP” and “3” on the left side of the triggerguard, “Rampant Colt” on the sideplate, and smooth pearl grips with nickel plated Colt medallions. The butt is
inscribed “W.H.G.”, and matching numbers are present on the frame and crane. In addition to the aforementioned factory letter, a binder of research materials, including copies of vintage news articles regarding the
fatal incident, is included.
CONDITION: Excellent, 90% plus original nickel finish, with some flaking on the high edges, and light scratches and handling marks overall. The grips are excellent, with some tiny edge chips. Mechanically excellent.
Provenance: The Brig & Louise Pemberton Collection.
Estimate: 2,000 - 3,000