The image measures 2 1/2 by 3 inches and shows a bearded Union soldier armed with a rifle-musket with affixed bayonet, what appears to be a Colt Model 1849 Pocket Revolver, and a S&W Volcanic pistol. The rounded butt of the pistol gives it away as a Smith & Wesson No. 1 Volcanic. Only around 1,200 of these pistols were manufactured in the mid-1850s. There is some minor blush applied to the soldier's cheeks and dark shadowing from developing on the left. Removing the portrait reveals another portrait of a younger man on the back in civilian attire. The case also has a "GENUINE/UNION CASE,/IMPROVED./Fine Gilt and Burnished/Hinge./S. PECK & CO.,/MANUFACTURERS" label. Images of armed Civil War soldiers are always desirable, but images with men armed with rare firearms like the Smith & Wesson Volcanic in this example are even more highly collectible and valuable.
Fine overall with mild storage wear. The back image has some surface chipping.
There are currently no customer product questions on this lot