This wonderful work of Colt artistry was manufactured in 1916 with a combination of extremely rare factory documented special order features: engraving and pearl grips. Adding to the revolver's charm is the fact it was sold to a Texas retailer and shipped to New Orleans. This SAA certainly flashes the wealth of a flamboyant Southerner. As documented by the accompanying factory letter, the revolver was sold to A.H. Anderson Co. of Fort Worth, Texas, and shipped to Stauffer Eshleman & Co. of New Orleans, Louisiana, on August 17, 1916 with a 4 3/4 inch barrel in .45 caliber, nickel finish, factory engraving, and pearl stocks. This was a two gun shipment. The factory letter is in error as the revolver is chambered in .38 WCF. As explained in his included letter retired Colt Custom Shop Manger Al DeJohn examined no. 333530 and found it to be "completely original and in untouched condition" and was of the opinion that "the factory records are in error describing the caliber as .45 instead of .38 WCF. Since it was a two gun shipment, it's possible that one of the two guns was a .38 WCF and the wrong caliber was recorded." Although DeJohn did not know it at the time he wrote the letter, the second revolver in the shipment, no. 333587, is chambered in .45 caliber. The second gun in the shipment was discovered by our consignor and now resides in a private collection. Other than the chambering, no. 333587 is configured identically to no. 333530 (factory pattern engraving, pearl stocks, nickel finish, and 4 3/4 inch barrel). The clerk made the simple mistake by recording both revolvers in .45 caliber. This is certainly not the first nor the last mistake in the factory records we have come across in our decades of cataloging Colts. DeJohn identified the engraving as done in "the personal hand of [Cuno] Helfricht himself" and the pearl stocks as "definitely original to this gun" with "deep set medallions [that] are correct for this period of production." In "A Study of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver" the authors referred to factory pearl grips as "one of the most desirable features" for today's collectors (164). A high percentage of SAAs were fitted with hard rubber grips, and, "though apparently readily available," proclaimed the authors, "[special order grips such as pearl] had a temporary lag in popularity", thus making these grips a rarity in SAA collecting (151). The Rampant Colt medallion pearl grips first appeared in 1912. Using the most liberal statistics only 2,500 first generation Colt SAAs of the 357,800 manufactured were factory engraved. It is safe to say that no other engraver knew the lines of the 19th century’s most iconic firearm, the Colt 1873 Single Action Army, better than Helfricht. During his tenure with Colt, Helfricht saw the transition from percussion to cartridge firearms and a rapidly growing market for engraved firearms. At the height of the firearm engraving fad, Helfricht oversaw a shop of six engravers. By the turn of the century, experts believe that Helfricht did most of the work himself with the help from one to two assistants. Helfricht's successor's included famed Colt engravers Wilbur Glahn and William Gough. The factory engraving on this SAA covers 40% of the surface and is nearly identical to the pattern of engraving seen on another Helfricht embellished SAA as pictured on page 300 of R.L. Wilson's "Colt Engraving." Even the pearl stocks are matching. The majority of the engraving features fine floral scrollwork on a punch dot background. Star bursts adorn the recoil shield, loading gate, and top of the back strap. A star is featured on both front sides of the frame. Zig-zag line and dot patterns cover the top strap, top of the ejector rod housing, grip straps, and cylinder on each chamber while the rear of the cylinder has snake pattern band. The barrel has the two-line Hartford address on top and "38 WCF" in a banner amongst the scrollwork on the left side. The left side of the frame carries the two-line patent dates followed by a Rampant Colt. The left side of the trigger guard has the number "1" and a Colt factory triangle proof. The inside of both grip panels have the matching two digit partial serial number "30". The rear of the cylinder has the matching partial serial number "3530." The matching full serial number appears on the frame, trigger guard, and back strap. The matching assembly number "423" is marked on the loading gate and rear of the frame. With its combination of special order factory engraving and pearl grips, this SAA is without a doubt a standout piece today's collectors dream about owning! Provenance: The TTT Collection