1092

*RARE SAVAGE MODEL 1914 ULTRA HIGH GRADE DELUXE ENGRAVED WITH GOLD PUMP ACTION RIFLE.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:6,250.00 USD Estimated At:12,500.00 - 17,500.00 USD
*RARE SAVAGE MODEL 1914 ULTRA HIGH GRADE DELUXE ENGRAVED WITH GOLD PUMP ACTION RIFLE.
SN 4069. Cal. 22. Spectacular little rifle with 24" oct bbl, ivory bead combination front sight, a Savage windage adjustable open rear sight and a Lyman locking tang sight. Mounted with spectacular circassian walnut with full checkered & carved bullet shaped round forearm and pistol grip stock with carved pearl grip cap and serrated Savage quality embossed steel buttplate. Stock has slight perch belly and has a large oval gold plate on bottom engraved "P.J. Noel". Receiver is elaborately engraved, probably by Enoch Tue with full coverage very fine foliate arabesque patterns surrounding the large vignette of two large raised gold squirrels in a tree on left side and two raised gold partridge on right side with hills or mountains in background. Engraving extends over the exposed flats of bbl and trigger guard. The trigger, thumb safety and screws are all gold washed as are the tips of the screws that extend through the receiver. Screw heads are all engraved. P.J. Noel was a wealthy insurance agent in Bowling Green, KY, becoming the manager of the Kentucky Central Life & Accident Insurance Co. in 1903, remaining with the firm until his death in 1950 at age 75. According to the book Savage Pistols, Brower, Mr. Noel amassed a very large & extremely valuable firearms collection during his lifetime and according to an article which appeared in a 1915 issue of The Sporting Goods Dealer he had "perhaps the most valuable and expensive collection of firearms in the country". A 1938 newspaper profile called Mr. Noel's guns "the largest, finest and most expensive collection of firearms in the United States". According to the referenced book the exact makeup of his collection is unknown today. The referenced book lists four spectacular engraved Savage pistols purchased by Mr. Noel in factory cases with two of the pistols being gold plated and the other two blued, all with pearl grips. Apparently, according to this book, Mr. Noel also ordered double holster rigs for his pistols from Savage for a trip to Panama in 1915. Mr. Noel also patented a holster for Savage pistols and according to the book owned "one of the most embellished and gorgeous Savage Model 1899 lever-action rifles ever produced". Also according to the book Mr. Noel was apparently a nitpick perfectionist who eventually irritated the Savage Firearms Co. to the point that they refused to make another Monarch Grade rifle for him. In light of the foregoing it is reasonable to assume that this rifle certainly qualifies as one of the most lavishly embellished Savage 22 rifles ever produced and would qualify as a "Monarch" grade. PROVENANCE: P.J. Noel Collection; Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine plus, all matching including buttstock & buttplate. Overall retains 99% plus crisp orig factory finish; wood is crisp & sound with only a couple of very small surface flaws. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. 4-44842 JR391