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EXTRAORDINARY AFRICAN GAME SCENE CUSTOM JOSEPH ENGRAVED & GOLD INLAID WINCHESTER MODEL 1876 LEVER AC

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:4,250.00 USD Estimated At:8,500.00 - 12,500.00 USD
EXTRAORDINARY AFRICAN GAME SCENE CUSTOM JOSEPH ENGRAVED & GOLD INLAID WINCHESTER MODEL 1876 LEVER AC
SN 10052. Cal. 50 Ex. (50-95). Spectacular Joseph engraved deluxe '76 with rare 24" oct to rnd bbl, full magazine, half nickel front sight and "1876" marked ladder rear sight. Mounted with exceptional flame grain custom American walnut, H-style checkered with straight grip & crescent buttplate with trap. Rifle is extraordinarily engraved by master engraver, Joseph, from Cody, Wyoming and should be considered his single finest example of the engraver's art. Receiver & side plates are wonderfully engraved with two running gold cheetahs on left side plate attacking a running spiral horned antelope in a very detailed plains scene with hills in the background. Left front flat shows an extraordinary raised, relief engraved gold male African lion shoulder bust, a flat gold wildebeest and a flat gold spiral horned antelope. All surrounded by extremely fine detailed, intertwined foliate arabesque patterns with smooth artistically offset panels on the front flat. Side plate & receiver are equally beautifully outlined by very fine border patterns. Right side plate is engraved with a very highly detailed raised gold leopard descending a tree with a plains scene in the background. Right front flat exhibits an incredible raised gold running lioness and two flat gold long horn antelopes, all with matching surrounding engraving & borders to the left side. Bottom center of the right front panel is signed "JOSEPH 88". Top front of receiver is engraved with an incredibly detailed bull Cape buffalo head. All other areas of the receiver have semi-relief intertwined patterns with fine shaded background. Bottom of carrier is spectacular with the relief engraved head of a spiral horned antelope, crossed elephant tusks and foliate patterns with the caliber marking on a panel of foliate patterns. Lever, hammer, forend cap & buttplate are all engraved to match. Top flat of bbl, over chamber area is inlaid in flat gold ".50 CAL. EXPRESS" and top of dust cover is inlaid in flat gold "WINCHESTER" inside a gold wire elliptical shape. The muzzle of the bbl is inlaid with three wide gold bands. Buttplate has hand checkered heel & toe with the tang engraved in extremely fine detailed foliate & floral patterns with a very fine shaded area. Dust cover rail is engraved in geometric patterns with the top rear of receiver very finely shaded. Altogether one of the most incredible custom engraved Winchesters ever brought to market. Accompanied by a small packet of sample drawings from Joseph to the consignor's father who commissioned the rifle along with photographs, a letter from Joseph regarding the wood and a letter from Herbert G. Houze to Joseph praising his work. Also accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this rifle in Express caliber with 1/2 oct bbl, plain trigger, light, checkered stock and case hardened received in warehouse June 30, 1880 and shipped next day. Apparently the set trigger was overlooked in the shipping records. CONDITION: Extremely fine. Overall retains virtually 100% of its crisp custom finish to both metal & wood with bright blue and clean, crisp oil finish on the wood. Mechanics are crisp, strong dark bore with fine to moderate pitting. 4-47879 JR132