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LOT 1199
Serial no. 198066, 31 cal., 4 inch octagon bbl., blue/casehardened/
silver finish, Charter Oak grips. This spectacular revolver was
manufactured in 1862 and features a rare and highly desirable grip
made from wood from the famous Charter Oak on Wyllys Hill in
Hartford, Connecticut. The famous landmark dates back centuries
and earned its nickname and place in history when the Connecticut
Charter of 1662 was hidden in its hollow trunk in 1687 to prevent
it from being seized by Governor-General Edmund Andros who
had been appointed by King Charles II to consolidate the northern
colonies as the Dominion of New England. Andros was overthrown
by the colonists in 1689, and Connecticut returned to its chartered
government. It was felled by a violent storm on August 21, 1856.
Given its storied past and significance to the community, wood
from the tree was transformed into special presentation pieces,
including several pieces of furniture in the Hartford Capitol Building
and the governor’s desk. Samuel Colt was known to be fond of
impressive old trees and the Charter Oak in particular and paid for
many of the fine pieces made from its wood, including a cradle
for Samuel Jarvis Colt Jr. and the Charter Oak Chair. Colt also used
pieces of the tree to craft grips for a select number of his revolvers
for use as special presentations. This revolver’s case is featured
on page 115 of “The Book of Colt Firearms” by Sutherland and
Wilson where the authors note: “the Model 1849 was a favorite
presentation piece used by Colonel Colt...The rarest form of Model
1849 casing is in leather, usually done to simulate a book. Among
the titles was: Colt On The Constitution Higher Law & Irrepressible
Conflict.” The revolver and case are also featured on page 82 of
“The William M. Locke Collection” by Frank Sellers and pages 95-97
of “Samuel Colt Presents” by Wilson. Only a very small number of
Charter Oak Model 1849s Pocket revolvers are known along with
less than ten Model 1855 Pocket revolvers.
Award Winning, Historic,
Exceptional, and Well-Documented
Colt Model 1849 Pocket Percussion Revolver
with Extremely Rare and Desirable Charter Oak Grip & Presentation
“Colt on the Constitution” Book Case
Marked “Presented to P.G.W.P.
H. H. Dickinson by South Meadow
Division S. of T. Feb. 25th 1862.”
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