Manufactured during WWI in 1918. The pistol has the Colt commercial blue finish, checkered walnut stocks, and "two-tone", flat base magazine. The right side of the slide is engraved with the inscription: "Presented to/Lieut. David Whelpley/by Co. F 22nd N.Y. Engrs." in three lines. The script presentation is not Colt factory work but is professionally executed. Presentation WWI firearms are quite scarce. The pistol has the standard Colt commercial markings. The right side of the slide is marked: "COLT AUTOMATIC/CALIBRE 45" in two lines in front of the ejection port. The left side of the slide has the Colt 1897-1913 patent dates in a two-line block followed by the Hartford address in a second two-line block with the Rampant Colt trademark behind the grip serrations. The left side of the frame is stamped with the Colt triangle "VP" factory proof on the front of the trigger guard and an assembler's mark "M" just ahead of the magazine catch. The right side of the frame is marked: "GOVERNMENT MODEL/C 99463" in two lines behind the slide stop hole. The barrel is blued with a polished chamber and stamped with a "P" and "N" in front of the lug. The top of the frame has a "G" stamped behind the disconnector hole. The pistol is fitted with the commercial short hammer and 1914 pattern safety lock. The pistol is accompanied by a WWI identity tag stamped: "DAVID WHELPLEY/CO. H/1ST SERG'T/22 ND ENGRS/N. Y." and WWI and WWII uniform buttons (one each). David Whelpley is listed in period sources as serving in the 22nd New York National Guard Engineers and then as a first lieutenant in the 102nd Engineer Corps during WWI. After the war, he was a captain in the 22nd Engineers on the reserve list. Company H of the 22nd New York National Guard is shown on page 188 of "National Guard Magazine" in Sept. 1911 in an article titled "The Crack Twenty-Second New York Engineers" which discusses the 22nd's training, and they are also recorded in other articles as having built a rifle range and trenches along the border with Mexico prior to the entry of the U.S. into WWI as part of the country's military preparedness training and the crisis at the border. The New York National Guard was among the best trained in the country. The 102nd is listed within the 27th Infantry Division. The 27th was built entirely from New York units and participated in the Somme Offensive, Ypres-Lys, and Meuse-Argonne.

Excellent. The pistol retains 90% of the original Colt commercial blue finish. The slide has typical holster wear on the muzzle and upper left side along with some holster wear on the front edges of the frame. The mainspring housing has some finish wear, but the grip straps show minimal handling. The inscription and all of the factory markings are sharp. The grips are excellent with sharp checkering and some minor damage around the right lower grip screw. The barrel retains much of the original blue finish. All of the components appear to be original to the pistol. An excellent and rare original example of a WWI presentation Colt Government Model pistol.