Manufactured in 1902. The accompanying factory letter lists this revolver with a 4 3/4 inch barrel in .45 caliber, blue finish and type of stocks not listed when shipped to Anaconda Copper Mining Company of Butte, Montana, on February 15, 1902. The barrel is stamped with the two-line Hartford address on top and "45 COLT" on the left side. The frame has the two-line patent dates marking along with a circled Rampant Colt on the left side. The silver Rampant Colt medallion grips feature a relief carved steer head on the right panel. Matching serial numbers are on the frame, trigger guard and back strap. Comes with a previous brass collection tag. Originally a silver mine owned by prospector and Union Civil War veteran Michael Hickey, the name Anaconda Mine was derived from Horace Greeley’s Civil War description of Ulysses S. Grant’s tactic of surrounding Robert E. Lee’s forces “like an anaconda.” Hickey sold his mine to Marcus Daly in 1881 when the silver lodes were increasing showing more copper. This was at the dawn of the electrical age when a spike in the demand for copper was just around the corner. With shrewd foresight, Daly and his investors, that included George Hearst, father of famed newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, developed the mine into one of the largest trusts of the early 20th century with mining operations in North America and Chile.

Fine, retaining 60% original blue finish with the balance a smooth brown-gray patina. The frame has silvered to an even aged patina. The grips show expected age shrink and are also fine with a small area of chipping along the bottom edge (left panel), attractive grain and color and crisp carving. Mechanically fine. A Montana mine shipped Colt that will make a fine addition to any SAA collection!