The included display card notes that this revolver is pictured in the book "Colt's Pocket '49: Its Evolution, Including the Baby Dragoon & Wells Fargo" by Robert Jordan and Darrow Watt on page 206. The is a very fine and very attractive early Colt Model 1849 Pocket. This model was Colt's most popular model in the 19th century and helped make Colt a household name. The revolver was manufactured in 1852 and features the distinctive early Hartford "donut scroll" style engraving on the barrel, loading lever, frame, hammer, and grip frame. This particular example has a slightly more open and feather-like style scroll patterns with crosshatched backgrounds, "Saml Colt" in Old English style script hand inscribed on the barrel, "COLTS/PATENT" hand inscribed in a banner on the left side of the frame, fan style accents, a bestial design on the hammer, and border designs. The dot marking used by the factory to denote special finishing such as engraving is marked by the serial number on the barrel, frame, trigger guard, and butt. The revolver has all matching serial numbers, including the grip in black ink. The wedge is matching but is renumbered. The revolver has the classic Colt factory combination of blue, case colors, and silver finish and a varnished burl walnut grip. The fitted case had something inscribed on the upper right of the lid that has been mostly removed aside from "Majs" or "Mass" with written German eszett. It contains an early Colt brass bullet mold without a sprue cutter, an L-shaped combination tool, Eley Bros. cap tin, cartridge pack, and a double sided eagle pattern flask.

Very fine with crisp engraving throughout, 80% plus original blue finish on the barrel, 30% original blue on the cylinder along with a distinct roll scene, traces of case colors on the loading lever and hammer and otherwise dark gray-brown patina, mostly a silver-gray patina on the frame, and 80% plus original silver plating on the grip frame with light aged patina on both the silver and the exposed brass. The grip is also very fine and retains the vast majority of the original high polish varnish and has many scattered mild dings and scratches and light edge wear. Mechanically excellent. The case and accessories are fine with mild age and storage related wear. This is a very attractive example of an early factory engraved Colt Model 1849 Pocket that will be an excellent addition to any antique arms collection.