Catalog Auction info Amoskeag Live #139 - August 26th, 2023 (#139) 08/26/2023 9:00 AM EDT Closed Starts Ending 08/26/2023 9:00 AM EDT Auction Info Lot #51 Extremely Rare Colt Single Action Army Revolver Chambered In 45 Eley Short Click image to enlarge PreviousNextSimilar Items Lot closed - Sold Price (Including Buyer`s Premium):$11,400 Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000 Description Description: serial #22871, 7 1/2” barrel with a bright very fine to near excellent bore which shows crisp rifling and a couple very sparse spots of light pinprick pitting. This very rare, and likely unique, revolver remains in a very fine state of condition in a rare and desirable chambering and with a very rare barrel marking. The arm retains about 96-97% original factory nickel, showing the lightest muzzle flaking, light flaking on the ejector housing screw, hammer, gripstraps and butt, these areas toning to a mild gray-brown patina. There are some other scattered light handling marks to be expected and the one piece walnut grip rates about excellent as very lightly cleaned and the flat of each butt with a number of small impact marks. Grip fit remains very nice and it is numbered to the gun on the interior. The included factory letter shows shipment to Colt’s London Agency in August 1876 with six other guns, caliber is listed as “45 Eley Cartridge” and the finish as nickel, barrel length and stocks are not listed which generally means stock 7 1/2” and walnut. Indeed the left rear of the triggerguard is marked “45 Cal./B”, which is the factory marking for the 45 Eley Short cartridge (The 36 Calibers Of The Colt Single Action Army), a marking we have found on similar 45 Eley guns sold by this house, there were only 110 .45 Eley Short Single Action Army revolvers made, making it 17th rarest of all the chamberings. Most interestingly however is the barrel address which reads “COLT’S FIRE ARMS MFG CO. 14 PALL MALL LONDON” with NO mention at all of the Hartford address, very interesting since the gun shipped from the Hartford factory; the beginning of the marking is a bit light but that is not surprising, and the finish is original in every respect. There is another example known with this address, number 24501, which shipped in a 75 gun shipment, but not an address ever encountered by this house. There are a few light tool marks here and there on the gun from the years, we find marks left and right on the frame, a couple on the barrel and some atop the hammer near the firing pin, they are however unobtrusive, with of course the prerequisite light scratches or handling marks here and there about the finish and a bit of flaking on the front and back strap near the butt. The British proofs on the cylinder and underside of barrel and all numbers are matching on barrel, frame, triggerguard, butt and cylinder (2 is a bit light) and the gun functions well mechanically for the most part, there is currently no half-cock notch, the bolt not dropping as far as one would like on the loading notch, consequently there is a turn ring on the cylinder. One very interesting feature on the gun is the replaced hammer screw which is oversized both left and right providing a lug, no doubt for mounting a shoulder stock, which would doubtless explain the loss of finish on the butt and perhaps even the dings left and right, where there a tensioning screw in that position on the stock proper. A number of the screw slots show some light damage which has been dressed, leaving the slots wider than normal and a few of the screws polished bright, of no real consequence when considering the rarity of the gun. The arm comes in a nice Stockdale’s Stratford-London leather carry case with locking hasps and a replaced candy apple red interior with a modern facsimile Thomas Bland & Sons West Strand London retailers label, along with an applied facsimile paper label “Directions for Using Colt’s New 450 Bore Government Army Pistol”. Inside we find a small Gallyon & Sons bottle of oil or perhaps solvent, empty tin of Dominion No.2 Copper Primers, ebony wiping rod and ebony-handled turn screw. There are two depressions for boxes of cartridges and additional compartments for accessory or cleaning items. Really a very lovely and very rare revolver, destined to be a conversation piece in any comprehensive and advanced Colt collection, a solid investment revolver. (3G11112-23) {ANTIQUE} (10,000/15,000) Categories: firearm Terms and conditions TERMS & CONDITIONS OF SALE The following paragraphs represent the terms under which all sales by Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. are conducted. Bidding on any item in the sale indicates the bidder’s full acceptance and understanding of all terms and conditions of sale. Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. has taken great care in the preparation of the descriptions in this catalog. Although we believe everything in the descriptions to be true, we do not guarantee any part of any description. We recommend that the bidders view the items in person and form their own opinions as to condition, originality, origin, etc. Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. will consider all requests for refunds. If a customer is unhappy with a purchase, we will be happy to discuss a remedy with them. All requests for refunds must be made within 30 days of the sale date. Therefore, it is important that absentee bidders pay for their items in a timely fashion. All requests for refunds received after 30 days of the sale date will not be considered. Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. reserves the right to reject any bid in order to protect our consignor’s interests. PAYMENT POLICY All invoices are payable upon receipt. Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. will accept cash, check, wire transfer, MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express as payment for items purchased. Online payment is available for buyers directly through the online invoicing process. Bidders who fail to pay their invoices in full by the 25th day following the sale agree to have their total invoice amount charged to the credit card listed on file. Credit card purchases are limited to $50,000.00 per customer, per auction. Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. reserves the right to demand cash or hold merchandise until funds are collected in full. There will be a $35.00 charge for all returned checks. A 20% Buyer’s Premium will be added to all purchases regardless of price with a 2.5% discount when paid with check, cash or wire transfer. This premium is to be paid as part of the purchase price. Additionally, the 2.5% cash discount will only apply to invoices paid promptly, within 14 calendar days of the auction. Buyers should be aware of common delays in the mail and if that is a concern they are welcome to call our office to receive wire transfer information. No items are to be removed from our facility until paid for in full by the purchaser. GUIDELINES FOR FIREARM DELIVERIES All Federal, State and Local firearms laws will be strictly adhered to. FFL holders may take possession of any firearm on day of sale (excluding Class III) when they present a signed copy of their Federal Firearms License. If an FFL dealer is sending an “agent” to pick up items, that person must be a bona fide, paid employee of the company with a W4 on file. Outside contractors cannot be used as pickup agents. A SIGNED LETTER FROM THE FFL STATING THIS FACT MUST BE PRESENTED AT TIME OF PICK UP. The FFL Dealer will in turn be notified that a transfer was made to you as their agent. New Hampshire residents over the age of 21 may take possession of any firearm, on day of sale, provided the proper paperwork is completed and the transfer has been approved either through the N.H. State Police or the FBI NICS System, whichever is appropriate based upon the type of firearm(s) purchased. Non-resident individuals from states without waiting periods may take possession of long guns on day of sale after completing the proper forms and successfully completing a NICS check. If you reside in a state with a waiting period, your items will need to be shipped to a dealer in your state. No modern handguns will be delivered to non-resident individuals. All modern handguns purchased by non-resident individuals will need to be delivered to or shipped to an FFL holder in the buyer’s home state. Buyer is responsible for any and all shipping charges and all items must be paid for on day of sale. Bidders should be familiar with their local and state laws as Amoskeag Auction Co., Inc. will not be responsible for any parties purchasing items which may not be possessed in, or shipped to their state of residence. Some states have restrictions on transfers to C&R License holders, study your state and local laws before bidding. If you are the winning bidder of an item that you find does not comply with your state’s laws, you will still be required to pay your invoice, Amoskeag Auction Co. will then re-offer the arm on your behalf. FIREARM CLASSIFICATION: ANTIQUE - no paperwork required MODERN - Post-1898 firearm which requires an FFL or 4473 with corresponding successful background check in order to be delivered. C&R - for firearms that fall under the ATF Curio & Relics licensing and if purchased by a person with a “C&R License” no paperwork is required. NOTE: Items that meet the age requirements but have been altered from their original configuration may NOT be delivered on a C&R License. ABSENTEE/TELEPHONE/ON-LINE BIDDING • As a service to our buyers, Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. will accept absentee bids from bidders who cannot attend the sale. Bidders without prior credit approval are required to submit a 20% deposit prior to bids being accepted (credit cards may be used for absentee deposits). Absentee bids will be bid in a competitive manner and an absentee bidder needs only to outbid another buyer i.e. bidding will not be opened at the maximum bid unless that is the next competitive bid. Because we do not open at the absentee bidder's top bid (unless that is the next competitive bid) there is a chance that the absentee bidder's bid may tie with a bidder using a different bidding method (live, Proxibid or telephone bidder). If an absentee bidder wishes to guard against this occurring, they may complete an absentee bid form with a "+" after the bid amount and forward that bid sheet to our office to be entered by Amoskeag. When a "+" is added after the bid amount, the bidder authorizes Amoskeag Auction Co., Inc. to make one additional bid in order the break the tie. Buyer is responsible for any and all shipping charges. Properly registered Amoskeag On-line bidders may use this service free of additional charges as an alternative to telephone or absentee bidding, at their election. On-line bidders should be aware that the sale sometimes proceeds at a very rapid pace and should plan their bidding strategies accordingly. • Amoskeag Auction Co., Inc. will not be held responsible for errors or omissions of any type that may occur during these services. • All absentee bids must be received by 8:00pm on the day prior to the auction. If you plan to attend the sale but will not be staying until the end and want to leave a bid on an item that will be sold after you leave, we must have those bids in by 8:00am on the morning of the sale. No bids will be accepted after that time. Please do not call the gallery once the auction has started (after 9:00am) as we will not be able to accept bids or make changes to bids. • Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. will also accept telephone bids on a limited basis. Telephone bidding is reserved for seriously interested bidders. In order to bid by telephone, the bidder must be willing to pay at least the low estimate of the item being bid on. NOTE: Phone bids MUST be arranged by 5:00pm ON THURSDAY prior to the sale. • All absentee/telephone bidder invoices are issued by end of business on the Tuesday following the sale; all invoices are due upon receipt. Invoices are to be paid either by cash or check, or by credit cards listed above. All items not paid for within 20 business days from sale date shall be considered abandoned as well as any deposit that was made on those items and Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. shall have sole discretion as to their disposal. SAFETY WARNING Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. does not warranty the safety of any article it sells. Therefore, it is imperative that, before you use any firearm, purchased here or anywhere else, you have it examined by a qualified gunsmith to determine whether or not it is safe to use. SHIPPING • Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. will make every effort to ship items in a timely fashion. All items, with the exception of modern handguns, are shipped via UPS Ground unless other arrangements have been made. All merchandise is shipped Signature Required. • All modern handguns are shipped via UPS Next Day Air service. • Buyer is responsible for any and all shipping charges and for insurance on the items being shipped. 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