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LOT 1504
Magnificent and Extremely Well-Documented Historic Special Order Russell Smith Signed Exhibition Quality Master Engraved, Gold and Silver Inlaid Smith & Wesson Model 53 United States Bicentennial Double Action Revolver Gifted to the King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley with Case - Serial no. 4K82595, 22 magnum jet cal., 8 3/8 inch solid rib
bbl., blue finish, goncalo alves grips. Over the years,
Rock Island Auction Company has had the pleasure of offering to the public firearms linked to Elvis Presley. Today we continue that tradition with this sensational Russell Smith exhibition engraved Smith & Wesson Model 53 revolver. This is certainly one of the most well documented, elaborate and stunning pieces of S&W steel canvas of the latter half of the 20th century
we have cataloged.
Simply known as The King, Elvis Presley was rock & roll’s first super star and remains one of the most important cultural icons in American history since his first number one charting song hit the airways back in 1956. He was, after all, the nightmare to 1950s conservative America: the white Southerner bringing together American music from both sides of the color line and performing with natural sexual flare. He was in essence a cultural
liberation icon throwing the “system” into chaos. In his personal life Elvis had a well-documented interest in firearms. When he died in 1977, The King was reported to own 37 firearms, including one machine gun.
Originally manufactured in 1974, this Model 53 returned to the S&W factory in 1976 to undergo its transformation into a Russell Smith masterpiece specifically for Elvis Presley. The revolver is identified by serial number in Russell Smith’s accompanying 1988 dated signed letter. In the letter, Smith confirmed that he performed the engraving “in 1976 for a Bi-centennial Commemorative gift for Elvis Presley, factory ordered from Hiram’s
of California.” Hiram’s was a gun shop in El Cajon, California, and the name of the shop is script engraved on the underside of the frame ahead of the trigger guard. Smith’s original pencil drawing of the proposed engraving is included. Among his many handwritten notes on the drawing Smith remarked that the gun was “for Hiram’s, El Cajon Calif” and “design for Model 53 (22 Magnum) commemorative for E. Presley.”This drawing provides great insight into the design process. For instance, Smith provided two different options for the left frame inlay. One was a Betsy Ross flag and the other was a minuteman. The latter design was chosen.
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