SOLD
2,250.00USD+ (517.50) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2021 Jul 31 @ 09:46UTC-6 : CST/MDT
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This is an immensely scarce and unusual C.D. Schubarth Model 1861 U.S. Civil War musket. This is one of only 500 known “U.S. / C.D. Schubarth / Providence (with Spread-Winged Eagle between the hammer and bolster) marked Civil War Model 1861 muskets to exist as documented by author and historian George Moller. This is a musket with an unusual and scandalous history including an immigrant, bribes, Congressional subpoenas, shame and eventual a failed business. The musket is dated on the lock plate 1862, along with the Spread-Winged Eagle between the hammer and bolster and under the bolster in three lines “U.S. C.D. Schubarth Providence”. It is also marked on the breech of the barrel “V/P”, on the flat of the left of the barrel breech “H”, “US” on the top flat of the original metal butte plate, and “U” on each of the three barrel bands. Casper Daniel Schubarth was born in Norway 1830 and apprenticed under a Norwegian gunsmith. He immigrated to the United States in 1850 and settled in Massachusetts, later opening a gunsmithing shop in Providence, Rhode Island in 1855. Schubarth brought on his brothers, Amos D. and James Y. Smith, as investors who later introduced him to Republican Rhode Island Senator James F. Simmons. He introduced his US Patent #32,895, an “Improvement in Breech-Loading Firearms”, which was turned down, and then bid to undertake the manufacture of US Model 1861 Rifle Muskets. Due to Senator Simmons, Schubarth received a contract for 20,000 US M1861 Rifle Muskets at $20 each, supposedly landing the contract due to Senator Simmons strong arming Secretary of War Cameron, who passed the order to General Ripley, who offered the contract to Schubarth on October 11, 1861, only one day after being denied for his breechloading design. The contract was a mixed blessing, as it was not large enough to cover the cost of tooling and production, so Schubarth’s partners pressured him to return to Washington and increase the contract to a more profitable number of arms. Schubarth, relying on Simmons’ help, obtained a larger contract for a total of 50,000 arms on November 26, 1861, along with an invoice from Simmons for $50,000, which Simmons considered his “commission”, an obvious illegal act. At this point, his brothers and financial backers considered this a bribe and abandoned the venture, leaving Schubarth with no investors and no ability to produce the arms and pay Simmons. James Smith, his brother had political aspirations himself and didn’t want the controversy ruining his career, which turned out to be a wise decision as he was elected the Governor of Rhode Island in 1862. On February 15, 1862, he formed the C.D. Schubarth & Company corporation with backing from new partners, James M. Ryder and Frederick Griffing. Simmons was so set on receiving his “commission” or bribe that he met with the new backers demanding his payment and left the meeting with two $10,000 promissory notes. Due to President Lincoln replacing Secretary of War Simon Cameron with Edwin Stanton and the Holt-Owens Commission Casper, Schubarth was subpoenaed before Congress. Schubarth, in his testimony, persuaded the elected officials to see that he entered into the morally incorrect, but not technically illegal, bribe agreement without nefarious intentions, blaming his foreign birth and lack of understanding for government procedure. They were much harder on Senator Simmons, who took advantage of a national emergency and an emigrant. President Lincoln signed a bill into law, which made accepting bribes from contactors as an illegal act punishable by prison and fine. Simmons resigned from the Senate. The order was decreased to 30,000 rifles, but Schubarth only delivered 500 by December 1862. There was another delivery of 950 in April of 1863 and a total of supposedly 9,500 between December 1862 and October 1863 (later finding that the number was likely lower as many of the firearms delivered were a 4th class of quality and rejected). Research by arms historian and author, George Moller, suggests that only about 500 of the Schubarth arms were delivered with C.D. Schubarth marked lock plates, with the balance of the guns being marked either by Providence Tool or Alfred Jenks and, later, Norwich Arms Company. Overall, this is an exceptionally rare example of US Model 1861 Rifle Musket by C.D. Schubarth, with an estimated 500 being marked as such and even fewer still inexistence today. With a total of slightly more than 448,000 contact US M1861 rifle muskets delivered by contractors between 1862 and 1865, the Schubarth produced guns represents only about 2% of all those guns and the C.D. Schubarth marked rifles only account for 00.1%, or 1/10th of 1%, making this one of the most scarce and storied Civil War Model 1861 muskets ever produced. A Schubarth example is missing from even some of the most advanced Civil War musket collections and museums and is sure to be the prize of any collection. This example shows dark metal blue coloring with crisp stamping and clean wood. The metal all appears to be the original bluing and patina (please use your own judgement for condition) and the wood appears to have been cleaned or refurbished over its 159-year age. The rifling has not been entirely inspected and is smoothed out. The firearm was tested and fired without a ball and was in functioning condition. NAAC makes no guarantee of the safety of shooting such an old firearm. Antique Firearm requires no FFL or NICS background check and can be shipped directly to buyer. The musket is accompanied with a Watervliet Arsenal stamped leather sling, a later addition.
Auction Location:
34156 E Frontage Rd, Bozeman, Montana, 59715, United States
Previewing Details:
Preview the Friday before the auction 10am to 5pm or by appointment.
No sales tax in Montana
Buyer's Premiums:
| From (Incl.) | To (Excl.) | Premium |
| 0.00 |
Infinite |
23% |
Additional Fees:
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According to U.C.C. § 2-328 (3). Sale by Auction
" U.C.C. § 2-328 (3). Sale by Auction:
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1. Live Bidding: The auction event will be held on site located at 4370 3th Street Bozeman, MT 59715 live onsite bidding will be available.
onsite bidding is the most reliable and successful way to bid at our auction. Auction Co. advises any
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the bidder's bids will be executed. Bidders are required to fill out the "Phone Bidder Request Form"
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located on our website under the Phone Bidding tab. Once the bidder has filled out 112 the Phone Bidder
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document has been received by the Auction Co. then the Bidder will be entered into the Auction Co.
system as a phone bidder. Auction Co. will then have a representative contact you on the telephone
number the bidder has given the Auction Co. a few minutes or when the item is being sold. The Bidder
can then tell the Auction Co. representative to bid on the bidder's behalf. Telephone bidders may also
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a verbal or written request to the Auction Co. representative to leave a max bid amount for the
representative to bid on behalf of the Bidder. Bidders understand and acknowledge that the Auction Co.
is not held responsible for any and all damages resulting in but not limited to the loss of telephone
bidder's bids, misunderstanding of the bidder's amount, missed calls due to bad telephone connection.
By becoming a telephone bidder, her/she understands and acknowledges they are taking on sole risk of
any and all damages resulting in the telephone bidding. Telephone bidders also understand that any bid
the representative places on behalf of the bidder is a guarantee of purchase and that the bidder agrees
to purchase any items won on behalf of the Auction Co. representative at the representative's highest
accepted bid.
. Absentee Bidding: Auction Co. offers bidders absentee bidding
approval to bid and that the Auction Co. has the right to refuse or decline any bidder without
limitation. If the bidder is not able to bid live online or live onsite at the auction event the Auction Co.
advises the bidder to leave the maximum bid amount the bidder is willing to spend on any given item.
Bidding on any item indicates your acceptance of these terms and all other terms, written
posted, or announced at the time of sale whether bidding in person, through a representative, by
phone, by internet, or other absentee bid. All bids placed with the Auction Co. whether in person,
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will not be shared or used incorrectly (Auction Co. DOES NOT bid on behalf of the consignor or share
with any persons the confidential bids placed by any persons). Auction Co. will not be responsible for
any errors or failures to execute bids placed (via absentee bidding without limitation including in
person, through a representative, by phone, by internet, or other absentee bid) including without
limitation, errors or failures caused by (i) a loss of connection to the internet or to any hosted
software platforms; (ii) a breakdown or technical problem with any of the hosted software platforms;
(iii) a breakdown or problem with a client's internet connection, mobile network or computer; (iv) the
failure to relay the bids placed for any reason without limitation due to the hectic nature of the live
auction event. Auction Co. is not responsible for any failure to execute an online bid or for any errors
or omissions in connection therewith. Online bidding via all hosted internet platforms will be recorded.
All bidding is subject to approval by the Auction Co. and Auction Co. Auctioneer representative at the
live auction event. Auction Co. holds the right to refuse or decline or accept in any order the bids
presented to the Auctioneer at the time of the live event. Bidders understand that all bids placed are
considered and executed as Competitive Bidding. Competitive Bidding is allowing the Auction Co. to
start the bid at the amount the Auctioneer will accept a bid regardless of any bidder's maximum bid.
understand that due to the hectic nature of the live auction event that the Auction Co. and Auctioneer
will not take into account the date at which any bid was placed (Example No.1: If the Auctioneer is
asking all bidders for a $1,000 bid and a live onsite bidder in person, a bidder through representative,
a telephone bidder, an internet live bidder from all of the five available hosted platforms, and an
absentee bidder all at the exact same time bid $1,000, the Auctioneer will award the high bid solely at
his discretion without limitations. Example No. 2: A bidder number 1 left an absentee bid of $1,000 on
a lot. The auction event is in processes and the bidder number 1 is the highest accepted bid at $100
and the Auctioneer according to his sole discretion sets the bidding increments at $100 and then
continues to call bids. The bidder number 1 is then accepted as the highest bidder at $900 and the
Auctioneer ask for $1,000 and accept the bid from another bidder, bidder number 2, at $1,000. The
Auctioneer then calls for any more bids at $1,100 and then sells the item to the bidder number 2.
Since the original bidder, bidder number 1, was accepted at $900 and the Auctioneer has chosen $100
increments the next accepted bid must be $1,000 and bidder number 1 cannot bid again as the
Auctioneer already has accepted his bid at $900. When the Auctioneer calls for $1,100 bidder number
1 no longer will show the Auction Co. representative any available bids and the item will be sold to
bidder number 2). Auction Co. is not liable for any damages or responsible for selling the item to
another bidder at your maximum bid amount without limitation.
. By registering to bid or/and bidding on any item this indicates the bidder's acceptance of these
terms and all other terms printed within, posted, and announced at the time of sale whether bidding in
person, through a representative, by phone, by internet, or other absentee bid. Auction Co. advises
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any persons who does not fully understand and acknowledge the terms written herewith 206 to refrain
from bidding in any manner. All bids left are an acknowledgement and agreement of these terms and
a guarantee for all payment invoices on any successful or purchased lots including any additional
expenses including but not limited to buyer's premium and storage cost and late fees when applicable.