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LOT 1094
Cased Smith & Wesson No. 3 First Model American Revolver
with Relief Carved Spanish Coat of Arms Grips and Factory
Letter - Serial no. 4337, 44 S&W American cal., 8 inch solid rib bbl., nickel finish, antique ivory grips. Only 8,000 of
these revolvers were manufactured in 1870-1872. The barrel rib has the one-line address/patent dates marking.
The assembly number “600” is found on the cylinder, barrel and barrel latch. An assembly number is not present on
the grip frame. Attaching hardware for an included after market folding skeleton stock is mounted just behind the
hammer. In the accompanying August 1962 dated factory letter (copy) longtime Smith & Wesson President C.R. Hellstrom
concluded, “The gun is very definitely a presentation gun from one of the officers of our company since there is nothing in
our archives indicating a sale or registration.” The revolver wears presentation type grips with each panel featuring a relief carving.
A version of a lesser or abbreviated coat of arms of the Spanish monarch appears on the right panel, and the initials “JP” appear on the left
panel. The coat of arms features the Kingdoms of Castile and Leon in the quarters while the ente en point is the Kingdom of Granada. The
House of Bourbon escutcheon as used in coat of arms by the Spanish monarchy from 1700-1868 and again from 1875-1931 is absent. This
revolver was manufactured during the brief and turbulent reign of Amadeo I. An Italian prince from the House of Savoy who was King of
Spain from 1870 to 1873, Amedeo’s time on the throne coincides to when this revolver was manufactured and the absence of the House of
Bourbon escutcheon from the grip arms carving is therefore not surprising. Amedeo was the only prince of the House of Savoy to sit on the
Spanish throne and was made king following the ousting of Isabella II of the House of Bourbon. The “JP” initials likely belonged to a member
of the ruling class under the reign of Amadeo I. Smith & Wesson entered into a contract to manufacture No. 3 Russians for Spain in the
early 1870s. Perhaps Smith & Wesson offered this revolver to a Spanish official as part of their negotiating efforts. By 1884 the contract was
dissolved following Spain’s decree to not provide copyright protection to products not patented in Spain. As a result, Spanish companies
flooded the market with Smith & Wesson knockoffs. Just after production of the First Model American ceased, the Spanish monarchy was
abdicated from the throne and the First Spanish Republic was founded. The Republic was short lived as a coup d’etat restored the monarchy
under Alfonso XII in 1874, returning the House of Bourbon to the throne until political unrest once again ended the monarchy in 1931. The
back of both grip panels are marked with the gun’s serial number in pen ink while “Smith &/Wesson” is marked in pencil on the left panel
only. The partitioned case is lined in green velvet and contains a box of U.S. Cartridges .44 S&W American Model cartridges.
CONDITION: Very fine, retaining 97% reapplied nickel finish with some flaking mostly on the barrel. The grips are excellent with typical age
lines on the bottoms, few minor handling marks and crisp carving. Mechanically excellent. The relined case is very good with some missing
veneer at the corners, some textured varnish, minor handling/storage marks and typical high spot wear on the lining. A very interesting No.
3 First Model American linked to Spain’s monarchical past.
Provenance: The Dr. Gerald Klaz Collection; The Richard Littlefield Collection.
Estimate: 9,500 - 14,000
Collector’s Fact
S&W President C.R. Hellstrom
concluded, “The gun is very
definitely a presentation gun
from one of the officers of our
company since there is nothing
in our archives indicating a sale
or registration.”
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