December 6-8, 2023 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/6/2023
Shipped February 18, 1893, as a single gun shipment to F.W. Adams, a store owner in New Castle, Colorado, as a blued .44-40 Single Action with 5 - 1/2" barrel, pearl grips, and a factory inscription done in gold reading "J.W. SCYBERT - CITY MARSHAL / PRESENTED BY BERNARDY BROS." on the back strap. Josiah Walter Scybert was born December 31, 1859, and is listed as living in Colorado as early as 1885. By 1888, he was recorded as acting Deputy Sheriff of New Castle, the newly formed mining town, before officially being elected as the town's first City Marshal later that year. He held the position until 1893, becoming Night Marshal. An 1893 article in the Glenwood Springs Avalanche Echo records his service as having "made many important arrests during his terms of office and is noted for his fearlessness and daring." Schynert remained in the New Castle area until at least 1910, ranching along the Divide Creek near where Teddy Roosevelt set up his bear hunting camp in 1905. Although it is unknown why this revolver was presented to Scybert, the Bernoudy Brothers (misspelled Bernardy Bros. on the gun) were proprietors of a saloon in New Castle from 1889 to 1894 and also served as agents for various local real estate and insurance agencies. This revolver is accompanied by extensive research complied by Donald Jones, including copies of photographs of Marshal Scybert wearing his badge, Francis Adam's store where the revolver was shipped, and various period views of New Castle, in addition to numerous scans of period documentation and historical references. The revolver remains in the configuration as shipped, confirmed by a 2011 dated Colt archival letter and scan of the original factory record. Revolver is fitted with a 5 - 1/2" .44-40 round barrel roll stamped "COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER" and with 1-line address. Black powder frame stamped on the right with 2-line patent marking and encircled rampant Colt. Grips are smooth 2-piece mother of pearl. This historic revolver is photographed and described in a 1974 article, "The Marshal's Colt," published in the Pennsylvania Gun Collectors Association "Monthly Bugle" by William W. Dalrymple and in 1976 on pages 8 and 9 of "Historical Hartford Hardware" by the same author, copies of each are included. The revolver is also pictured on page 411 of the "Colt Peacemaker Encyclopedia", and pg. 66 of the First Edition, "A Study Of The Colt Single Action ARmy Revolver" by Graham, Kopec, and Moore. PROVENANCE: Ex Charlie Schriener, John Hayes, Robert Blom, Richard "Dick" Burdick. CONDITION: Good. Revolver finishes have drifted to a brown, gray patina throughout, with use commensurate with a Western lawman's Peacemaker. Markings are legible, the inscription somewhat faint, with light traces of gold in the lettering. Grips are somewhat poorly fit, showing age with oxidation staining and some mild chipping along the edges. Bore displays strong, well-defined rifling, some cleaned black powder oxidation present in the grooves. Crisp mechanics, all 4 hammer clicks retained. A few screws appear to be replaced. Matching numbers were observed on frame and grip straps. Documented guns from lawmen in the Old West are few and far between, even scarcer with factory presentation inscriptions. This Colorado Marshal-presented Peacemaker is a tangible piece of American Western history and would make an excellent addition to any advanced collection.
Model
SAA Frontier Six Shooter
Paperwork
Binder of Prov, Factory Letter