1065

Samuel Colt Letter Signed

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:NA
Samuel Colt Letter Signed
"WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED AFTER THE AUCTION ENDS BY THE AUCTIONEER ONCE ALL BIDS HAVE BEEN PROCESSED TO DETERMINE THE WINNER FOR EACH LOT."
Extremely rare letter signed by Samuel Colt. Letter, dated 12 March 1839, is addressed to ''The President and Directors of the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company'' and written from Washington, D.C. Likely penned by Colt's secretary, but signed boldly ''Samuel Colt'' by the inventor. The letter outlines Colt's meetings in connection with obtaining patents, his dealings with Secretary of War Joel Roberts Poinsett and his demonstrations of the new Carbine longarm gun to the military, including trials by officers and Army/Navy gun sales. Letter reads in part: ''…creating favor with the government I continued to neglect the business of making sales of the arms entrusted to me and devoted my whole time to establish the merits of the Carbine with the Officers of the Army and Navy to effect which my first move was to send to every officer then in Washington a printed Note of invitation to attend the Shooting and after experiments to be tried with our Carbine…'' There is also a postscript detailing how Colt suggests pricing the Carbine: ''…[Poinsett] said the cost would be a serious difficulty to get over in introducing them into the service…I think you had better offer the Guns at as low a price as you can…'' The final two pages are an affidavit of 34 military officers who have tried the Carbine and liked it. Six pages, front and verso, on 8'' x 12.75'' paper. Expected folds from mailing, some chipping and toning at edges. In very good to near fine condition.