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OUTSTANDING PRESENTATION CASED COLT MODEL 1862 POLICE CARTRIDGE CONVERSION REVOLVER WITH TWO DIGIT SERIAL NUMBER 29
FACTORY INSCRIBED FREDERICK A. HALL WITH COMPLIMENTS OF THE COMPANY SEPT. 1871
LOT 1224
Serial no. 29, 38 RF cal., 4 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened/silver finish, walnut grips. This revolver is easily among the absolute finest Colt conversion revolvers in existence. It remains nearly as it left the factory. McDowell in “A Study of Colt Conversions and Other Percussion Revolvers” indicates around 2,500 of this variation of the Model 1862 Police conversions were manufactured c. 1871-1872. This revolver is from early in the separate conversion serial number range and has “29” marked on the barrel, frame, trigger guard, and back strap and “30” marked on the loading gate and recoil shield. The barrel has a cone front sight and “ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA” on top and an ejector fitted along the right side.
The frame has “COLTS/PATENT” on the left, and “36 CAL” is on the left side of the trigger guard. The cylinder is the fluted Model
1862 Police type. The back strap is neatly inscribed “Fred’k A. Hall/With Compliments
of Company.” and “Sept. 1871.” It comes in
a black leather bound case with rare Hall & Hubbard package
of .38 Short cartridges.
Details on who Frederick A. Hall was and why this revolver was presented are unfortunately not documented. However, there was a man by that name listed on June 6, 1871, in the Hartford Courant as a corporal in the First Company Governor’s Guards. Later that
year, the same name is listed among those petitioning the county commissioners not to build a jail on Wethersfield Avenue.
The First Company Governor’s Guards based in Hartford have been around since 1771 and are recognized as the oldest U.S. military organization in continuous existence in the U.S. Samuel Colt became involved in the Governor’s Guards when he was elected
as commandant of a new group raised
to serve as the First Company Governor’s Horse Guards formed in 1853 when they believed the unit had been disbanded.
When it became clear the unit was in fact
still in existence, Colt’s unit instead became
a company of cavalry attached to the state’s First Regiment of the First Brigade of Militia. The First Company Governor’s Foot Guard remains based in Hartford today.
CONDITION: Excellent. 95% plus of the original bright, high polish blue finish and 98% fiery original case colors remain with only minimal handling related wear including some very minor flaking and 90% plus original silver plating with a small patch of fading on the back strap. The silver displays an attractive aged patina, and the inscription remains crisp. The grip is also excellent with nearly all of the original varnish and has only a few minor spots of varnish loss and light handling marks. The action is very tight and is mechanically fine. The case and cartridge box have some age and storage related wear. This is an incredible Colt conversion revolver. You do not find these revolvers in excellent condition like this, let alone with factory presentation inscription!
Estimate: 15,000 - 25,000
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