Arms and Armor: Live Auction
Arms and Armor: Live Auction
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Description
While the entire sale is indeed a showcase of rare and desirable items, several lots showcased in the May sale are of special interest to advanced collectors of fine arms. Specially featured is an incredibly rare #5 Holster Model “Texas” Paterson Revolver (Lot 48). These revolvers are rare to find in any condition and not only does this example retain some of its original finish, it also has the added bonus of showing matching serial numbers, even on the spare cylinder.
Also featured in this sale are several one-in-a-lifetime opportunities, including a prohibitively rare Third Model Cofer Revolver (Lot 110), a unique Southern Percussion Revolver By V.G.H. Libeau (Lot 375), a remarkable double cased pair of silver and gilt Colt 1860 Army Revolvers, (Lot 376) and a factory engraved Winchester Big .50 Deluxe 1876 Short Rifle made especially for Sultan (later King) Fouad I of Egypt (Lot 295). This unique assembly of... Show more
New Hampshire Marked Modified French Charleville Model 1774 Flintlock Musket with Bayonet
Lot # 1 (Sale Order: 1 of 282)
An interesting post-Revolutionary War French musket that appears to have been arsenal modified and repaired. While the lock is from the 1770/1, 1773 or 1774 pattern of arms, the short 11" triggerguard is of the 1774 pattern, the barrel is a shortened Model 1770/71 or 1773 as it has an anti-rotational stud on the bottom, a feature eliminated on the Model 1774. The stock has band springs located behind all three bands, a feature not introduced until the Model 1774, as the rear bands of the earlier patterns were friction retailed. Many of the earlier 1770/71 and 1773 muskets were later upgraded by adding a retention spring to the rear of the lower band. This one appears somewhat crudely cut into the stock, suggesting a modification of an older stock, but the correctly fitting shorter triggerguard that was not adopted until the M1774 indicates this is a 1774 stock. The lower barrel band also includes the ramrod retention spring of the M1774. The belief is that this is an arsenal repaired or refurbished French musket with an older pattern barrel used to replace the otherwise damaged or non-functional M1774 barrel. As noted, the barrel has been shortened roughly 2".
The NH markings are not consistent with the Revolutionary War period markings that used a conjoined NH along with a battalion number (1-3) and the gun's number. These markings are likely from the Federal Period. No New Hampshire markings are present on the bayonet, although some examples are known with New Hampshire markings and similar mortise modifications to allow the bayonet to be used on different patterns of muskets. An interesting, post-revolutionary War period arsenal modified French M1774 with apparently legitimate New Hampshire ownership marks from the period before or during the War of 1812.
Condition: Very good. Metal lightly cleaned with a medium pewter patina and scattered light surface oxidation. Markings in metal clear, less clear in wood but mostly legible. Mechanically functional, moderately oxidized bore is rusty and dirty. Wood with scattered bumps, dings and mars. Bayonet good to very good.
EST $ 3000 - 5000
Raised Carved Kentucky Rifle
Lot # 2 (Sale Order: 2 of 282)
Condition: Good. Barrel with an evenly oxidized brown color, showing light to moderate pitting. Brass with a medium golden patina. Lock functional, bore smooth, heavily oxidized and pitted. Stock with wear, a repaired break at the wrist with added finish, forend with wood loss, splintering, numerous cracks and some repairs. Wood with added finish and concealing stain at some repairs, particularly at the wrist.
EST $ 3000 - 5000
Flintlock Kentucky Style Rifle Signed P Belles
Lot # 3 (Sale Order: 3 of 282)
Condition: Good. Barrel moderately oxidized with some light to moderate pitting, mostly at the breech area. Iron with a plum brown patina. Brass cleaned with a golden tone that is starting to dull slightly. Mechanically functional lock, bore with moderate oxidation and scattered light to moderate pitting. Stock appears lightly sanded with some rounding to the sharp edges, incised lines in forend weak. Some wood loss and burn out between hammer and tang. Forend with a repair at the nose cap and some minor slivering along the upper edge. Patchbox spring and catch broken, door will not lock in place.
EST $ 1500 - 3000
Composite British Liege Contract Short Land Pattern Musket
Lot # 4 (Sale Order: 4 of 282)
Condition: Poor to fair. Barrel has a dark brown patination with scattered rough areas of old pitting. Lock is poorly fitting in mortise with a section of missing wood around hammer and breech. Stock appears to have been sanded with a repair consisting of two nails rear of breech. Action is not functional, does not hold at cock and may need some sear adjustments to return to working order. Bore is dark.
EST $ 2500 - 3500
Southern Style Flintlock Rifle
Lot # 5 (Sale Order: 5 of 282)
Condition: Good. Metal with an oxidized patina showing scattered pitting. Mechanically functional reconverted flint lock with some replaced parts. Bore moderately oxidized and pitted. Stock good, worn, with a long splintering crack running about 7" from the pan down the upper edge of the stock that is loose and not secure, forend with other glued cracks along the forend as well. Wood with bumps and dings.
EST $ 1500 - 3000
Buck & Ball Flintlock Kentucky Rifle
Lot # 6 (Sale Order: 6 of 282)
Condition: Very good. Barrel and lock with an oxidized brown patina mixed with traces of old browning, showing some scattered surface roughness and some minor light pitting. Mechanically functional, moderately oxidized bore with scattered light to moderate pitting. Stock good with a repaired diagonal crack at the octagonal-to-round transition and some repaired cracks along the forend, forward of the middle wedge. Reverse middle wedge missing. Patch box spring does not work and lid catch must be manually engaged.
EST $ 2500 - 4000
Early Raised Carved Kentucky Rifle
Lot # 7 (Sale Order: 7 of 282)
Condition: Good. Metal moderately oxidized with even light pitting, more severe at breech and around touchhole area. Mechanically function, fair bore is smooth, moderately oxidized and pitted with some rust. Stock with substantial repairs at the wrist, with added wood and visible repaired cracks, forend with some wood repair as well, the balance of the stock with moderate bumps, dings and mars. Raised carving is weak and soft. Still an attractive and seemingly early production "Kentucky."
EST $ 4000 - 6500
Fullstock Flintlock Rifle
Lot # 8 (Sale Order: 8 of 282)
Condition: Very good. Barrel cleaned to bright with scattered surface oxidation. Mechanically functional lock reconverted to flint with a replaced hammer, bore about very good with deep rifling and moderate oxidation with scattered pitting. Brass with a medium golden patina. Stock with some added finish, showing scattered bumps, dings and mars as well as some handling marks, but apparently solid and free of any major repairs.
EST $ 3500 - 7500
Barnett Brass Flintlock Barreled Blunderbuss
Lot # 9 (Sale Order: 9 of 282)
Condition: Good. Brass cleaned with a dull patina, lock cleaned to bright with light pitting. Mechanically functional, moderately oxidized bore. Stock with scattered bumps, dings and mars.
EST $ 1500 - 2500
Brass Flintlock Blunderbuss with Snap Bayonet by Wathen
Lot # 10 (Sale Order: 10 of 282)
Condition: Very good. Brass with a medium bronze patina, lock moderately oxidized, with a rich brown patina and some moderate pinpricking. Mechanically functional lock and bayonet, moderately oxidized bore. Stock with scattered bumps, dings and mars. Bayonet moderately oxidized with some light pitting and roughness.
EST $ 2000 - 3000
Snap Bayonet Flintlock Blunderbuss by Rea
Lot # 11 (Sale Order: 11 of 282)
Condition: Very good. Brass with a dull golden patina. Markings remain clear, mechanically functional, moderately oxidized bore. Stock with a 3" repaired crack running diagonally through the front lock screw. Wood with added finish showing scattered bumps, dings and mars. Bayonet fully functional.
EST $ 2000 - 3000
Double Barrel Flintlock Shotgun By Michel Beleur
Lot # 12 (Sale Order: 12 of 282)
Condition: Good. Metal cleaned with a dull pewter patina and scattered surface oxidation with age discoloration. Lock markings somewhat weak, engraving mostly clear and crisp. Mechanically functional locks, bores good with moderate oxidation and some pitting, mostly near the muzzles. Stock sanded, leaving the checkering weak with added finish on the wood.
EST $ 1000 - 2000
A Fine and Rare Silver Mounted Portuguese Miquelet Fowler Ca 1790 with Silver Inlaid Spanish Barrel
Lot # 13 (Sale Order: 13 of 282)
.68 caliber, 33.3" barrel. Portuguese guns are extremely rare and they have a slightly different form than Spanish guns. Another Portuguese Miquelet gun was formerly in the collection of Clay P. Bedford and illustrated in his book, Decorated Firearms. The long barrel of Spanish form extensively inlaid at breech with gold and silver inlay and gold poincon. Silver front sight surrounded by silver inlay including double-headed birds. Silver barrel bands, raised silver rear sight with acorn finial. Silver triggerguard with acorn finial. Initials FG. Silver buttcap with acorn finial. Lock is of excellent construction with sophisticated engraving and roller bearing main spring. Figured exotic walnut stock with fluted butt in the Portuguese manner. Ivory tipped ramrod.
Provenance:Richard B Trethuey collection of Maple Ridge, British Columbia. Eric Vaule. Bridgewater, Connecticut
Condition: Barrel is a combination of aged brown and cleaning where inlays occur. Lock is aged brown. Face of frizzen signed by maker Manuel Gomes. Silver mounts in good condition throughout. Figured stock in fine condition throughout with minor marks. Bore is good. A very rare gun for the advanced collector of European fowling pieces or high art guns in general.
EST $ 4000 - 6000
1758 French & Indian Wars Carved Flat-Sided Horn
Lot # 14 (Sale Order: 14 of 282)
Condition: Very nice dark brown patina. Overall excellent.
EST $ 1000 - 1500
Mid 18th Century Engraved New York State Map Horn
Lot # 15 (Sale Order: 15 of 282)
Condition: A beautiful pre-Revolutionary War horn retaining most of the polychrome blending with an amber to brownish patina on the horn proper. Wood base with some linear carvings and missing some of the stain. The throat and spout are very good with some color fading. There is a crack 1.5" crack on the spout. Lightly polished edges with the exception of the lobe.
EST $ 4000 - 6000
Early American Saber with Regimental Inscription
Lot # 16 (Sale Order: 16 of 282)
Condition: Blade has a mixed oxidized patina with some old pitting and light orange rust. Guard has a dull patination with some flaking on grip. Leather scabbard is in fair condition with some mix of flexibility and dryness. Old repair near chape. An interesting sword worthy of further research.
EST $ 1000 - 1500
18th Century American Horseman's Sword
Lot # 17 (Sale Order: 17 of 282)
Condition: Blade shows some moderate oxidation with some patches of old removed rust. Guard has a gunmetal patination with some very light old pitting. Guard has some stable hairline splits due to age. A good example of the utilitarian and unpretentious arms favored by Americans during the 18th century.
EST $ 2500 - 5000
US Model 1795 Type II Springfield Musket Twice Altered to Percussion
Lot # 18 (Sale Order: 18 of 282)
Condition: Good. Chemically cleaned to a dull gray color. Markings mostly legible with even light to moderate pitting over most of the metal surfaces. Mechanically functional, fair smooth bore is heavily oxidized and pitted. Stock with wear, a large chip missing behind the middle barrel band on the reverse, scattered bumps and dings and some mars.
EST $ 1000 - 1500
US Springfield Model 1795 Type II Musket Dated 1808
Lot # 19 (Sale Order: 19 of 282)
Condition: Good. Metal oxidized with mottled discoloration and some pitting, with weak barrel markings and stronger lock markings. Mechanically functional, heavily oxidized and rusty bore. Stock with wear, scattered bumps and dings, some slivered missing wood near the tip of the forend on the reverse and in the ramrod channel. Wood with some added finish.
EST $ 1500 - 3000
Model 1795 Springfield Musket Type II Dated 1806
Lot # 20 (Sale Order: 20 of 282)
Condition: Good. Metal with a mottled salt and pepper patina with dark gray discoloration over medium pewter gray. Markings legible in metal, not in wood. Mechanically functional, fair bore is heavily oxidized and rusty with pitting. Stock worn and sanded, with splintered chips missing along the upper edge of the reverse forend with wood filler at the tang. Stock with bumps and dings as well.
EST $ 1500 - 3000
Model 1795 Springfield Type II Musket Dated 1805
Lot # 21 (Sale Order: 21 of 282)
Condition: Good. Metal moderately oxidized with a mottled brown and gray patina, metal cleaned long ago and toning down. Mechanically functional lock, bore heavily oxidized with rust and some pitting. Stock worn, sanded with numerous cracks and some repairs around the lock mortise and forward portion of the counterpane, as well as through the butt. Also showing bumps and dings.
EST $ 1500 - 3000
US Model 1795 Springfield Musket With 33" Barrel
Lot # 22 (Sale Order: 22 of 282)
Condition: Good. Metal moderately oxidized with a mottled brown and silvery gray patina. Metal with some surface roughness and scattered pitting. Markings in metal clear, weaker in wood. Mechanically functional, heavily oxidized bore. Stock with scattered bumps, dings and mars, with chips at toe of butt and around buttplate tang.
EST $ 1500 - 2500
Model 1795 Springfield Musket Type II
Lot # 23 (Sale Order: 23 of 282)
Condition: Good. Metal evenly pitted, cleaned with a dull pewter and bronze patina, the latter likely from old, dried grease. Mechanically functional, heavily oxidized bore with some light pitting. Stock sanded with bumps, dings and mars and chips missing from from both sides of the breech plug tang.
EST $ 1500 - 3000
Model 1795 Type 5 Springfield Flintlock Musket
Lot # 24 (Sale Order: 24 of 282)
Condition: Good. Metal lightly cleaned with scattered mottling and oxidized discoloration. Breech with some moderate pitting. Lock cleaned, mainspring cracked and supported by a wood shim, but remains functional. Bore heavily oxidized with some pitting. Breech plug tang broken and screw hole and welded. Stock worn, lightly sanded with some chipped loss around the rear of the lock and old chipped loss along the lower edge of the counterpane. Stock with a cracked repair running though the lock mortise area, and round the rear of the upper lock edge.
EST $ 1500 - 3000
Model 1812 Type I Springfield Flintlock Musket
Lot # 25 (Sale Order: 25 of 282)
Condition: Good. Metal lightly cleaned to bright with clear markings and some scattered surface oxidation. Mechanically functional, top jaw cracked, good bore is very dirty and moderately oxidized. Stock sanded and refinished.
EST $ 1500 - 3000