This cased Colt Model 1849 revolver was manufactured in 1854 and is listed on Master Engraver Gustave Young's invoice dated June 3, 1854, for "Engraved Pistols No. 2." This list has been published in multiple books by R.L. Wilson, including "The Colt Engraving Book Volume One." No. "97346" is listed in the "4 inches" column. This revolver is one of the few known surviving examples from "Young Lists." Each of these revolvers are valuable piece of Colt firearms and American arms engraving history and provide insight into the important years of the 1850s when engraving styles at Colt were changing over to the Germanic style brought over to the U.S. by recent immigrants during the wave that followed the failed Revolutions of 1848. Among the engravers that came over and settled in the U.S. at that time, Gustave Young and L.D. Nimschke are certainly the most well-known today. Per research by Herbert Houze in "Colt Factory Engravers of the Nineteenth Century," Young moved to Hartford sometime after his return to the U.S. on June 4, 1853. He had previously first come to the New York City with fellow engraver John Marr on September 16, 1852. Marr is credited with encouraging Young to move to Hartford where Young established himself as a world class firearms engraver. Young is believed to have become Colt's primary engraving contractor after that position was created in 1855 until he made a return visit to Germany with his family from July 1858 to September 1861. After returning to Hartford during the Civil War, he was employed at Colt as a "pistolmaker" and appears to have established his own independent engraving shop in Hartford by late 1863 and remained there until late 1869 when he moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, and became the primary engraver for Smith & Wesson. Over his career, he was responsible for many of the best engraved American firearms of the 19th century, including masterpieces presented at the World's Fairs. Using the "Young lists," R.L. Wilson estimates Young had seven employees, and the few identified surviving revolvers from the lists have been used to identify Gustave Young's style. Since some of the revolvers on the lists are clearly at least in part the work of Young's staff rather than Young himself, it is possible this revolver was engraved at least in part by Herman Bodenstein who began engraving in Hartford in 1853 and took over both Young's position as primary engraving contractor and even Young's living quarters near the Colt Armory when Young returned to Germany with his family in 1858. We now know that Georg H. Sterzing, Augustus Grunewald, John Marr, and others also engraved for Colt during at least portions of the same period as Young. Many of the German-American engravers, including Young and Nimschke, are strongly believed to have been trained at the Industrial School in Zella, Thuringia, Germany, under Ernst Moritz and Gustav Ernst, and they used the latter's patterns as references, so their styles are often very similar. The engraving is exceptionally fine and detailed and covers over half of the barrel, all of the frame, the flat sides of the loading lever arm, the trigger guard bow, and the top and bottom of the back strap. It primarily consists of classic Germanic scroll patterns with punched backgrounds and floral accents. The engraving also includes other elements often linked to Young such as the bird's head terminus on one of the scrolls on the left side of the barrel by the loading lever screw, wolf's head on the hammer, and the rayed designs on the corners of the barrel lug and top of the back strap. The barrel has the "Saml Colt" script inscription with wavy line borders in place of a barrel address, and the "COLTS/PATENT" marking on the left side of the frame is hand inscribed in an open panel in place of the usual stamped marking. The hash marking used by the factory to designate arms for engraving and special finishing is found by the lower serial numbers. There is a wavy line border and crosshatch patterns around the serial numbers on the front of the frame and bottom of the barrel lug and a radiating crosshatch pattern around the toe screw. All of the visible serial numbers match. The cylinder has the standard stagecoach roll scene. The period partitioned case contains lead bullets and balls, Eley Brothers cap tin, case key, double sided "COLTS/PATENT" marked eagle powder flask, "L" shaped combination tool, and "COLTS/PATENT" marked brass two cavity bullet mold.

Fine. The barrel retains 75% plus original blue finish. The cylinder retains traces of original blue finish with a smooth brown-gray patina on the balance and nearly all of the roll engraved scene. The hammer, frame, and loading lever have faded to an attractive gray. 95% plus original silver plating remains on the grip straps. Young's engraving is crisp. The slightly age shrunken grip is very fine with some scattered mild handling marks and highly attractive grain and color. Mechanically excellent. The relined case is very good with a number of handling/storage marks on the exterior and typical high spot wear on the lining. The accessories are good-very good. This is a scarce documented Colt Model 1849 Pocket listed by serial number on Gustave Young's billing list to Colt on September 23, 1854.