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LOT 1226
Outstanding Colt Model 1861 Navy Percussion Revolver - Serial no. 12599, 36 cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/ casehardened/silver finish, walnut grips. This “New Model Belt Pistol” was manufactured in 1863 and remains in exceptional condition. The Model 1861 Navy is one of the rarer percussion Colt revolvers with only around 38,000 manufactured compared to over 200,000 Model 1860 Army revolvers. Since the bulk of production was during the Civil War, high condition examples like this are very hard to find. They were the final evolution of Samuel Colt’s popular Model 1851 Navy and featured the improved “creeping” loading lever and round barrel designs also featured on the Colt Model 1860 Army and Colt Model 1862 Police. This revolver has German silver blade front sight, the “-ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA-” barrel marking, Naval Battle of Campeche cylinder scene, “COLTS/PATENT” on the left side of the frame, “36 CAL/8” on the left side of the trigger guard, and matching visible serial numbers.
CONDITION: Excellent with 85% plus of the bright original blue finish, 97% plus of the fiery original casehardened finish,
60% original silver on the trigger guard, patch of original silver on the top of the back strap, aged patina on the brass, some light marks and scratches, numerous dents on the butt, and minor overall wear. The grip is also excellent and has nearly all of the finish, slight edge wear, hammering marks, and minimal handling marks on the balance. Mechanically excellent. This
is an extraordinary example of one of the scarcer and most attractive Colt percussion models!
Provenance: The Don and Carol Wilkerson Collection.
Estimate: 30,000 - 45,000
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