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Beautifully Factory Engraved and Extremely Rare "Tri-Color" Finished Colt Pocket Navy Revolver with Carved Mexican Eagle Grip
by his style. The
148
LOT 194
Scarce Cased Gold and Silver
Plated Factory Engraved
“Tri-Color” Colt Pocket
Model of Navy Caliber
Percussion Revolver with Mexican
Eagle Carved Grips - Serial no. 5554IE, 36 percussion cal., 5 1/2 inch octagon bbl., silver/gold/casehardened finish, antique ivory grips. This revolver was manufactured circa 1866 and has beautiful factory floral scroll engraving patterns on the rear half of the barrel, loading lever hinge and all of the frame. The trigger guard and grip frame also have factory scrollwork along with geometric border designs, and the hammer has a dog head motif. The late vine style engraving may have been executed by Gustave Young and was at the very least inspired
“I.E.”markings by the serial numbers
on the barrel, frame, trigger guard, and back strap indicate the engraving and special grips originated from the factory. The grip is
one piece rather than two separate pieces bonded to a spacer and has a Mexican eagle with a snake in its beak over cacti and a banner that reads “REPUBLICA MEXICANA”. The back of the grip is numbered
to match the revolver under the back strap, and a “5” is stamped on the left side of the front strap at the bottom. The design is based on the Coat of Arms of Mexico. The Model 1860 Army on page 147 of “The Book of Colt Engraving” by R. L. Wilson has near identical grip carving and similar barrel engraving. Note that the hammer design the “COLTS/PATENT” frame marking are also nearly identical to those on the Model 1851 Navy engraved by Young on page 69, and the hammer design on the Young engraved Model 1860 Army on page 82 that also has very similar frame engraving but a differing patent marking. The matching partial or full serial number is marked on the loading lever, barrel lug, wedge, arbor pin, cylinder, frame, trigger guard, and back strap. The wedge does not have a retaining spring, and its first number is double or re-stamped. The top of the barrel has the one-line “ADDRESS SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S.AMERICA” address, and the left side of the trigger guard at the rear is marked “36 CAL”. The cylinder has the stagecoach hold up scene. The barrel and grip frame are silver-plated, and the loading lever, cylinder, and hammer are gold plated.