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TWO COLT MODEL 1861 NAVY REVOLVERS IN AN EXTRAORDINARILY RARE CONTOURED DOUBLE CASING.

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:30,000.00 USD Estimated At:60,000.00 - 70,000.00 USD
TWO COLT MODEL 1861 NAVY REVOLVERS IN AN EXTRAORDINARILY RARE CONTOURED DOUBLE CASING.
SN 12185 & 27450. Cal. 36. Both revolvers are nearly identical with 7-1/2" rnd bbls, German silver front sights, 1-line New-York U.S. America addresses and small "COLTS PATENT" on left sides of frames. Cyls are usual 6-chambers with Ormsby Naval Battle scene roll markings. Silver plated brass trigger guards & backstraps each contain a 1-pc varnished walnut grip with matching last four digits of respective SNs in backstrap channels. The buttstrap of #12185 is inscribed in period script "H.H. Langdon". The other revolver is not inscribed. Accompanied by an extraordinarily rare brass bound orig mahogany Colt casing with rectangular brass plate in the lid inscribed in period script "Presented to / Lieut. J.H. Bailey / Quarter Master 1st U.S. Hussars / by the Provost Guard / under his command / January 30th. 1864". Interior is royal blue velvet lined and compartmented in the bottom with contoured partitions for the revolvers, a fine eagle & stars Navy size flask with angle spout, a blued steel "COLTS PATENT" 2-cavity bullet & ball mold with sprue cutter, an L-shaped nipple wrench, two packets of Colt's Cartridge Works combustible cartridges and two orig, blue paper wrapped, sealed tins of 250-count Eley's caps. Covered compartment in the left rear corner contains a used spare hammer and a functioning key. Contour fitted cases are the most rare configuration of all the Colt cases and are very rarely encountered, only on the most special presentation pieces. Unfortunately the orig revolvers for this casing are, as of this writing, not known. Also accompanied by NRA silver medal #81 for the "NRA AFFILIATE CLUB OUTSTANDING DISPLAY AWARD". The NRA reported that this medal was one of 10 given to the Missouri Collectors Association in 1998 for their use as awards, and they are not aware of who the recipient might be. Lt. Bailey was assigned to the 1st U.S. Hussars, also known as the 3rd New Jersey Cavalry. This unit was mustered in between Dec. 1863 & March 1864 and mustered out Aug. 1, 1865. During their period of service they participated in numerous important battles & skirmishes and were a highly decorated unit in more ways than one. Their uniforms were the most elaborate in the Union Army, even more so than the Zouaves and were known as the "Butterfly Hassars". A quick Google search disclosed no relative information regarding Lt. Bailey but it seems likely that the presentation of his pistols was probably made at the time of his enlistment. CONDITION: Case is very fine with a couple of minor grain checks in the lid and a couple of cracks in the bottom with storage & handling nicks & scratches and retains most of an old restored finish on exterior; interior shows little or no fading, with light soil. It is likely that the orig pistols did not remain in this case for any period of time; flask is extremely fine with one tiny dent and retains most of its orig finish; mold & nipple wrench are also very fine; cap tins & cartridge boxes are crisp & orig with some minor paper losses on cap tins. Revolvers are nearly identical in condition with bbls retaining about 95% glossy orig blue, a little thinner on #27450; rammer handles both retain bright case colors; frames retain virtually all of their strong, bright, orig case colors, a little darker on recoil shields; hammers retain bright case colors; cyls retain 85-90% strong orig blue with some light thinning & minor flaking and both retain about 98% Ormsby Naval Battle scene; #12185 cyl roll marking is a little more thin; both cyls retain all six of their safety pins with only a couple showing damage; chambers on #27450 retain just about all of their orig blue while #12185 appears to have been fired but still retains some orig blue; trigger guard & backstrap on #27450 retains traces of orig silver in sheltered areas being mostly a medium mustard patina; #12185 retains 30-35% orig silver with balance a medium mustard patina. Grip on #27450 is sound with light nicks & scratches, showing light wear and retains about all of its strong orig varnish; grip on #12185 has light nicks & scratches with light edge wear and retains most of an old restored finish. Mechanics on both revolvers are crisp with both bores brilliant & shiny showing little if any use. This is an extraordinary case with two very high condition revolvers. 4-48354