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LOT 195
Historic Wells Fargo & Co. Marked
Engraved Colt Model 1851 Navy Percussion Revolver
- Serial no. 103609, 36 cal., 7 1/2 inch octagon bbl., blue/casehardened/silver
finish, walnut grips. Manufactured commercially in 1861, this Colt Model 1851 is finely engraved/inscribed “Wells Fargo & Co.” on the right side of the barrel
lug. Just the name Wells Fargo conjures up iconic imagery of the American Old West, especially stagecoach holdup scenes popularized by Hollywood that they became a standard
Western troupe. A film could not be considered a true Western without a nail biting scene depicting armed men on a high speed stagecoach engaging in battle. Founded in 1852 for the initial purpose of providing banking service to California, Wells Fargo rapidly grew due to demand caused by the
It is not hard to imagine
this revolver carried at
the hip of a stagecoach driver. The barrel has the
standard one-line New York address, the frame has the
“COLTS/PATENT” marking on the left side, the cylinder
has the naval scene, and matching full or partial serial
numbers appear on the frame, barrel, trigger guard, back
strap, loading lever, cylinder, wedge, and arbor pin. The grip has great character
with three “kill notches” and the letter “W.”
CONDITION: Very good showing all the wear and tear of a hard working piece of
19th century Americana. The cylinder does not lock properly after the hammer
is fully cocked, otherwise the action functions fine. From the smooth gray patina
to the worn cylinder scene to “kill notches” on the “W” initialed personalized grip, this Model 1851 sure has all the character of trusty sidearm that spent a lifetime in a cruel, inhospitable environment of the American West. As a Wells Fargo marked Model 1851, this Colt will certainly add dimension to any American antique firearms or American West collection.
Estimate: 5,500 - 8,500
California Gold Rush, and by the time the gold rush came to an end in 1855, Wells Fargo dominated the banking and express service industry in the West. Pieces of the Wells Fargo legacy, especially those that date to westward expansion (c. 1861- 1890), are in high demand by collectors. This Wells Fargo marked Model 1851 certainly has the look of spending a lifetime out in the harsh environment of the unruly American West.
LOT 196
“MS” Marked U.S. Colt Second Model Dragoon Percussion Revolver - Serial no.
10512, 44 cal., 7 1/2 inch part octagon bbl., blue/ casehardened finish, walnut grips. Only an estimated 2,700 Second
Model Dragoons revolvers were manufactured around 1850 and 1851 compared to 7,000 of the First Model Dragoons and 10,500 Third Model Dragoons. They are thus by far the scarcest of the primary Colt Dragoon revolvers. The U.S. Contract Colt Dragoon revolvers were used primarily by the First and Second Dragoon Regiments and the U.S. Regiment of Mounted Riflemen from 1849 until the Civil War.
LOT 197
Attractive Historic Cased Civil War Era Tintype Featuring a Cavalry Trooper Attributed as From the 7th Iowa Cavalry Regiment Armed with a Colt Dragoon Revolver - This sixth-plate tintype features a seated cavalry trooper wearing Union blue, his hat seated on the table next
to him. He is attributed as being a member of the 7th Iowa Cavalry regiment based on the hat badge marked “7/crossed swords/L” (mirrored) for L Company of the 7th regiment. The trooper is armed with what appears to be a British 1821 Pattern heavy cavalry saber and a Colt Dragoon revolver. The 7th Iowa Cavalry was mustered in Davenport, Iowa in 1863 and served most of its time in the west, taking part in the battles of Killdeer Mountain and the Badlands against Native Americans. The tintype is mounted in a thermoplastic case molded with patriotic and floral motifs. CONDITION: Very fine, the image distinct with some very light black smudging near the edges of the visible portion of the image and otherwise minimal wear. The case is also very fine with a few patches of very light chipping on edges.
Estimate: 1,500 - 2,500
This revolver was manufactured in 1851 and has a
German silver blade front sight, “-ADDRESS SAML
COLT NEW-YORK CITY-” marked on top of the barrel, Texas Rangers and
Comanche fight scene on the cylinder, rectangular cylinder stops, “COLT’S/ PATENT/U.S.” on the left side of the frame, squareback trigger guard with
“F” on the left and “MS” (Massachusetts Militia) marking on the bottom, and matching serial numbers on the wedge, arbor pin, cylinder, loading lever,
barrel, frame, trigger guard, and back strap.
CONDITION: Fair with silver-gray patina, moderate overall pitting,
worn hole at the hammer screw, and fairly heavy overall wear.
The modern replacement grip is very fine with minimal wear and
attractive figure. Mechanically fine.
Estimate: 3,000 - 4,500
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