Manufactured at Colt's London factory in 1855. Demand for Colt's Model 1851 Navy revolver was high with English officers following the Great Exhibition in London in 1851 and continued into the Crimean War. Herbert Houze in "Samuel Colt: Arms, Art and Invention" on page 9 notes that the British Board of Ordnance contracted with Colt for 25,540 Model 1851 Navy revolvers mainly for the Royal Navy, and Colt also sold an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 revolvers to officers. Despite this initial demand, the Adams revolvers and others of English design would force Colt to close his London factory, and the company instead shipped revolvers from Hartford to a sales office in London. Features the large oval steel trigger guard, steel back strap, wide cylinder nipple cut-outs, bordered knurling on the hammer spur, and round head frame and trigger guard screws that are typical of Colt London Navy revolvers. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped "-ADDRESS COL. COLT. LONDON-" and London "Crown/GP" and "Crown/V" proof and inspection marks are stamped on the left side of the barrel lug and alternating between each nipple on the cylinder. Full and partial matching visible serial numbers marked on the loading lever, barrel, wedge, cylinder pin, cylinder, frame, trigger guard, butt, and correctly handwritten in black ink inside the back channel of the grip. Includes a hardwood case with a red felt lined fitted interior and a silver inlaid escutcheon on the lid period inscribed with monogram initials that appear to read "GKM" likely belonging to an English officer, containing a key, a blued ball/bullet mold marked "COLT'S/PATENT" on the sprue cutter, two blued L-shaped combination tools, W. & C. Eley cap tin, G. & J.W. Hawksley oiler, cleaning rod, vent pick, extra hammer spring, and a bag shaped James Dixon & Sons Sheffield powder flask.

Very fine, retains 70% plus bright original high polish blue finish concentrated on the barrel and cylinder with 40% of the faded original blue finish on the trigger guard/grip straps, 75% plus original case colors concentrated on the loading lever and frame with a bright appearance on the hammer, retaining all of the cylinder safety pins, with crisp cylinder scene, markings and edges in the metal overall. Grip is also very fine with nearly all of the original glossy piano varnish finish, some scattered minor dents and scratches, and defined edges. Mechanically excellent. Case is very good with scattered dents and scratches, a non-structural crack visible on the refinished lid, and some mild age related wear on the interior.