Page 241 - 4095-BOOK3

LOT 3277
Incredibly Historic, Scarce, and Exceptional
Cased Set of Two Colt Percussion Revolvers
Presentation Inscribed “Gen. J. W. Ripley with
Compliments of Col. Colt” Presented to the
Chief of Ordnance for the Union During the
Civil War -A) Colt Model 1861 Navy Revolver -
Serial no. 1821, 36 cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/
casehardened/silver finish, deluxe factory walnut
grips. This historic set includes Colt’s new “Revolving
Belt Pistol” (Model 1861 Navy) and “New Model
Revolving Police Pistol” (Model 1862 Police aka
Pocket Police) each inscribed “Genl J. W. Ripley/
with Compliments of Col Colt” on the back strap,
confirming they were presented by Samuel Colt to
General James Wolfe Ripley, 5th Chief of Ordnance
of the United States Army (term: April 23, 1861 to
September 15, 1863), the man responsible for arming
the Union Army in the first half of the Civil War. The
Model 1861 Navy and Model 1862 Police were the
final revolver models introduced by Samuel Colt prior
to his death and are regarded as among the most
attractive of Colt’s percussion revolvers. Both models
are also rather scarce compared to Colt’s other
models with just 38,000 Model 1861 Navy revolvers
produced compared to over 200,000 of the Model
1860 Army, and only around 20,000 Police revolvers
manufactured compared to well over 300,000 Model
1849 Pocket revolvers.
The revolvers were manufactured in 1861 and are
in the standard configuration for these models, but
with a higher quality finish, the noted inscriptions,
and figured deluxe varnished walnut grips. The
factory period marking designating the revolvers
for special finishing is marked above or below the
matching serial numbers along the underside of
the revolvers. The revolvers are fitted in a scarce
factory rosewood presentation case fitted for the two
revolvers along with cap tins, a powder flask for each
revolver, “36 B” (Belt Model) and “36 P.” (Police Model)
marked ball/bullet molds, L-shaped combination
tool, several lead balls, and two cartridge packs for
“COL. COLT’S PATENT/REVOLVING BELT PISTOL” from
Colt’s Cartridge Works and a cartridge pack marked
“COL. COLT’S PATENT/NEW MODEL/REVOLVING/
POLICE PISTOL./36/100 inch Calibre/ADDRESS COLTS
CARTRIDGE WORKS.”
Around November 1861, Samuel Colt presented
cased sets of revolvers to a group of leading figures
within the Union Army and federal government.
The known recipients and what their positions
were in or around November 1861 are as follows:
General James Wolfe Ripley (Chief of Ordnance),
General Randolph B. Marcy (McClellan’s chief of staff
and father-in-law), General Joseph K.F. Mansfield
(commanded the Department of Washington),
General Irvin McDowell (a division commander in the
Army of the Potomac), General Ambrose E. Burnside
(commander of the North Carolina Expeditionary
Force), General Thomas W. Sherman (commander of
the Port Royal Expedition), General Andrew Porter
(provost marshal of the District of Columbia), General
George B. McClellan (general-in-chief of all the Union
armies), General Nathaniel P. Banks (commander of
the western district of Maryland), General Benjamin F.
Butler (commander at Fort Monroe), General William
Anderson Thornton (commander of multiple arsenals
and also an inspector during the war), General
Lorenzo Thomas (Adjutant General of the U.S. Army),
Colonel James Cameron (brother of the Secretary of
War, killed prior to the presentation of these revolvers
at First Bull Run), Secretary of War Simon Cameron,
and Edward S. Sanford of the American Telegraph
Company (worked with the U.S. Military Telegraph
Service/Corps). Each set was inscribed with the
individual’s name followed by “with Compliments
of Col Colt” on the back strap. These presentations
are generally believed to have been part of Colt’s
efforts to ensure lucrative government arms contracts
for his company. As early as April of 1861, Colt was
personally lobbying the government offering to
produce arms for the Union cause and asked the
Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles to ask President
Lincoln and Secretary of War Simon Cameron how
his company could be of assistance and indicated he
could supply 100,000 guns that year. General Ripley
would have been a key figure in securing favorable
contracts.
Incredibly Historic, Scarce,
and Exceptional Cased Set of
Two Colt Percussion Revolvers
Presentation Inscribed “Gen. J. W.
Ripley with Compliments of Col.
Colt” Presented to the Chief of
Ordnance for the Union During
the Civil War
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