This beautiful revolver was manufactured in 1853 and features very fine Germanic scroll and floral engraving with stippled backgrounds and a wolf head design on the hammer engraved by Gustave Young. A dog's head is to the left of the wedge on the left side of the barrel, and an eagle head is also below the hammer screw on the left. A group of six dots are located on the back of the hammer; each dot represents a ten hour day of work. Young first started working for Colt just one year earlier and remained Colt's contractor for engraving into the mid-1860s. The barrel has a round post front sight and presentation style "Saml Colt" hand engraved with light flourishes at either end. "COLTS/PATENT" is hand engraved within a banner on the left side of the frame. The back strap had a panel left plain for an inscription to be added, and the initials "DK AK" were later crudely inscribed. "DK" is also inscribed by the trigger. The cylinder has the standard stagecoach scene. All of the serial numbers match, including the grip in the back strap inlet, and the "center punch" mark used to denote factory engraving is by the main numbers. The grip has a piano varnished finish and attractive figure. The Model 1849 Pocket was Colt's most popular percussion revolver and helped firmly establish his name as synonymous with handguns.

Fine with 75% of the original silver plating remaining on the grip frame, very dark brown patina visible on the barrel and cylinder, (some minute traces of blue) grey and brown patina on the frame, aged patina on the exposed brass, mild oxidation and pitting, and moderate overall wear including some deformation on the upper left of the back strap. Most of the markings and engraving remain distinct. The grip is very good and has moderate handling and storage wear, some subtle figure, and some minor scratches and dings. Mechanically needs work as the cylinder does not rotate when the hammer is retracted. This is a solid representative example of Gustave Young's work for Colt and a fine representative of his distinctive style.