Deluxe, factory engraved, gold and nickel-plated Winchester Model 1886 rifle manufactured for the 1897 New York Exposition. The rifle is accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter that describes the rifle features as: "Rifle, 45/70, Octagon barrel, Plain trigger, Checkered stock, Pistol grip, Nickel plated barrel, magazine etc., Engraving $4.00" and "Gold plated receiver and buttplate". The letter states that the rifle was shipped from Winchester on November 4, 1896, "returned from the New York Expo 1897" and re-shipped on May 20, 1897. The rifle has a 26-inch, full-octagon barrel with full length magazine and pistol grip stock with crescent buttplate. The barrel has a sporting style front sight with nickel-silver blade and a folding leaf rear sight graduated to "10" (1000 yards). The upper tang is factory drilled and tapped. The barrel, magazine, bolt, hammer, loading gate, trigger and lever are nickel-plated. The forearm cap, receiver and crescent buttplate are gold-plated. The stock and forearm are highly figured, 3X, fancy grain walnut with "Style H" checkering and highly polished 'piano finish'. The pistol grip has a hard rubber cap embossed "WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS". The forearm cap, receiver and buttplate heel are decorated with Winchester No. 9 factory engraving. This engraving is illustrated in the 1897 Edition of "WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO., HIGHLY FINISHED ARMS reproduced on page 219 of "THE BOOK OF WINCHESTER ENGRAVING" by R.L. Wilson. The engraving features scrolls, borders and outlines with a round vignette of a mule deer on the left side of the receiver and an elk on right side of the receiver. The engraving was probably executed by Winchester's master engraver John Ulrich. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped with the two-line legend: "-MANUFACTURED BY THE-/-WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A.-" ahead of the rear sight. The caliber designation: "45-70" is roll-stamped on the top of the barrel just ahead of the receiver."-MODEL 1886-" is roll-stamped on the upper tang with hand-engraved, double line, borders. The 1884 and 1885 patent dates are roll-stamped on the lower tang behind the trigger and the serial number, "110606" is stamped in script numerals behind the rear tang screw. This rifle is accompanied by NRA Silver Medal No. 388 awarded to one of the ten best arms exhibited at the NRA annual meeting.

Extremely fine as factory replated. This rifle retains nearly 98% of the nickel and gold-plated finish. The barrel and magazine have nearly all of the nickel-plated finish. Wear is limited to a few very minor handling marks. The nickel plating on the bolt, loading gate, hammer and lever show slightly more handling wear than the barrel and magazine but retain close to 98% of the plated finish. The delicate gold plating on the forearm cap, receiver and buttplate has tiny spots of flaking and light high point wear but 95% remains. Most of the finish wear is concentrated on the buttplate. The delicate scroll, border and outline engraving on the forearm cap, receiver and buttplate heel is sharp and the highly detailed game scenes are crisp. The highly figured, fancy grain walnut stock and forearm are in excellent condition. The stock and forearm show very little handling and storage wear and retain close to 98% of the high polish piano finish. The checkering is sharp with minimal handling wear. This is a magnificent example of an award winning, exhibition grade, Winchester Model 1886 rifle with factory engraving and extremely rare combination nickel and gold plated finish. This would be a stand-out rifle in the finest Winchester collection.