Lot 18: Portrait of an Armed Union Soldier

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.