Catalog Auction info Auction #133 - Two-Day Sale, March 26th & 27th (#133) 03/26/2022 9:00 AM EDT Closed Starts Ending 03/26/2022 9:00 AM EDT Auction Info Lot #80 Very Rare & Important Engraved & Cased Colt Model 1851 Navy Revolver Presented by Sam Colt to U.S. Navy Lt. Charles "Alvarado" Hunter Click image to enlarge PreviousNextSimilar Items Lot closed - Sold Price (Including Buyer`s Premium):$27,600 Estimate: $20,000 - $40,000 Description Description: serial #23479, .36 cal, 7 1/2” octagon barrel with a bright very good plus bore showing a few small areas of light oxidation or fine pitting and otherwise crisp rifling. Charles Hunter began his naval service as a midshipman on November 9, 1824 first serving aboard the USS North Carolina. Something of a firebrand, Hunter’s first incident of notoriety occurred on March 21, 1830 when he killed a Mr. William Miller during a duel that resulted from a quarrel between two groups of friends of Hunter and Miller, respectively. He was temporarily dismissed from the Navy as a result, being reinstated in 1833. He was later court-martialed in 1837 while serving in the Mediterranean for apparently offending his commanding commodore during a horse race. Next came the Alvarado affair, from which Hunter gained his sobriquet. In April 1847 during the Mexican-American War, Hunter was ordered to merely keep an eye on the important Port of Alvarado while an operation was being planned. He instead seized the port altogether, encountering only slight resistance. A newspaper at the time commented wryly that they could imagine fleet commander Commodore Perry surveying the preparation of his fleet for the grand assault on Alvarado, oblivious to the fact it had already been taken by Hunter! His honor apparently besmirched, Perry had Hunter court-martialed for disobeying orders and dismissed from command. The country and public however were largely behind Hunter, dinners held in his honor and large cheering crowds attending his return to New York. He was finally given another command, the USS Bainbridge, in 1853 and served in South America. One final incident would put an end to his naval career, as he deserted his squadron altogether as a result of his commanding officer not letting him go address a purely diplomatic issue between the American consul and government of Paraguay. Hunter sailed all the way back to New York and released a statement condemning the wasteful use of naval warships for pointless pursuits. President Pierce personally ordered his name stricken from the naval rolls on January 29, 1855. Hunter did not live much longer beyond his final disgrace and died from illness on February 28, 1856. It appears Hunter was acquainted with Sam Colt for quite some time, one can surely understand these two characters being fast friends. According to the book Samuel Colt: Arms, Art, and Invention by Houze and Kornhauser, on page 75 it is reported that Hunter was one of those few men gifted a special early commercial Colt Walker revolver by the inventor, in 1847 (these revolvers in the serial number range of 1001-1020). The Navy revolver presented here was made in 1853, one can easily see it being presented to Hunter by Colt in congratulations for being reinstated to naval command in that very same year or as a gift before departing aboard the Bainbridge for South America. The revolver remains in fine condition and is masterfully embellished by the unmistakable hand of the Gustave Young shop, the entire frame, gripstraps and breech end of the barrel extensively engraved with the finest quality detailed foliate scrollwork with very fine punch-dot shading. The right side barrel shows the trademark eagle head integrated into the scroll, the left side rear frame with a dogs head, and wolf’s head hammer. The backstrap, triggerguard and muzzle also show some attractive geometric bordering. The major components show the familiar small punch dot denoting a special finished arm and the backstrap shows lovely presentation “Chas Alvarado Hunter / U.S.N. / FROM. THE. INVENTOR.” The barrel and cylinder have mostly toned to a mild pewter gunmetal patina showing some pale brown undertones and some sparsely scattered remnants of old minor oxidation staining with a few very minor pinprick pits. The barrel retains some faded streaks of original bright blue lurking about with a few small brilliant patches in the protected underside areas and the inside of the loading lever retains streaks of bright colors. All engraving remains crisp and lovely, the cylinder naval engagement scene is largely intact with some slightly obscured areas and the safety pins are mostly intact. The frame and hammer are a pleasant smoky gray case-hardened patina showing a few scattered specks of mild oxidation staining mostly along the hammer and some remnants of an old dark brown protective lacquer. The barrel shows Colts New York address, the cylinder with strong “COLTS PATENT” and Ormsby marking, and the “COLTS PATENT” on the left-side frame hand-engraved. The backstrap and triggerguard retain about 65-70% original silver finish showing some thinning along the high edges and backstrap toning to pale ocher brass and the silver with a pleasant mild patina. The smooth deluxe walnut grip is ink-numbered to the gun and remains in near excellent condition retaining about 97% original varnish with some slight edge wear and a few light dings and handling marks. The grip shows somewhat subtle but attractive grain figure throughout and all of the serialized parts are matching including the wedge. The action seems to function well mechanically with solid timing and lock-up. The revolver rides in an antique case that appears to be Colt in every respect and remains in fine condition retaining strong antique varnish along the exterior that shows some areas of moderate flaking and the expected light handling marks. The base shows two brands with the name “C.E. FLEMING”, Interestingly, Charles Hunter and Charles E. Fleming were midshipmen concurrently, both doing duty aboard U.S.S. Constitution, both while on station in the Mediterranean. It is likely Hunter left the arm to his old shipmate upon his death (Naval Register 1836). The interior is lined in maroon baize rating very fine showing some minor discoloration and scuffs and the case contains a Colts Patent panoply of arms powder flask that appears to have been lightly cleaned some time ago and shows a few scattered dents, a combination tool, single cavity conical bullet mould, partial Eley cap tin and two brass keys. A small assortment of documents further detailing the life of Lt. Hunter is also included. This is a wonderful revolver presented to a colorful and perhaps somewhat tragic naval officer that would make a very fine addition to the most advanced Colt or American arms collection. (13I10296-4) {ANTIQUE} (20,000/40,000) 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. 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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. 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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. Purchasers who self-insure can forego insurance charges if Amoskeag Auction is notified of your intent to self-insure. PICKING UP MERCHANDISE • Pickup will be by appointment only. • OUR OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY AND TUESDAY FOLLOWING THE SALE. No merchandise will be delivered on those days. We will resume normal business hours on Wednesday. • Our office hours are Monday through Friday - 8:00 am to 4:00pm.
