September 15, 16, & 17, 2026 Firearms & Militaria
Lot #1303:
(A) ENGRAVED COLT 1860 ARMY SINGLE ACTION PERCUSSION REVOLVER WITH DELUXE CASING.
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/15/2026
Colt Model 1860 revolver manufactured 1869. Silver & gold finish with 8" barrel, German silver front sight, and New-York U.S. America address. Left side of frame has a small “COLTS PATENT”. The silver plated brass trigger guard & steel back strap contain what is probably, its original 1-piece ivory grip with raised carved Mexican eagle on the left side. Revolver is engraved in New York style, probably from the Gustave Young shop with about full coverage foliate arabesque patterns on the frame which extend over the sides of the barrel with geometric patterns on top of the barrel and starbursts around the front sight. Top of the back strap has a fine spider web panel with geometric patterns on the back strap. Cylinder is rebated with Waterman Ormsby naval battle scene roll marking and all six safety pins, which are crisp. Shoulders of the trigger guard are engraved with the left side engraved over “44 CAL”. Right shoulder is over-stamped “W.Y. DE G.” which stands for “Wexell & DeGress”, major Colt distributors & dealers in New York and primarily in Mexico City. Accompanied by an extraordinary, brass bound, mahogany casing with empty brass plate in the lid, four narrow brass bands across the top and sliding brass latches on the front. It also has a mortised brass lock. Interior is burgundy velvet lined and French fitted in the bottom in modified English style for the revolver, a scarce double sided, “COLTS PATENT” trophy of flags & arms angle spout flask, a silver plated “COLTS PATENT” dual mold with sprue cutter that has a large “C” on the right side, an L-shaped nipple wrench, a full sealed packet of six combustible cartridges, an empty packet of the same type cartridges, a tin of Eley’s caps, and an all-steel cleaning rod. Undoubtedly this revolver was created for presentation to a high ranking Mexican government official or military officer. PROVENANCE: Dick Young; Michael Leff Estate Collection. CONDITION: Fine, all matching, including wedge and cylinder, although grip is unnumbered. Barrel retains 60-70% original silver with the losses showing raised oxidation commensurate with wet storage, not wear; rammer & handle retain about 75% original gold wash and the cylinder about the same; hammer shows about 50% gold wash; frame retains most of its original silver finish, turned dark; trigger guard retains 60-70% original silver, worn to gray metal on the front strap; backstrap and buttstrap retain original silver in sheltered areas with the body of the back strap gray metal patina. Grip has a number of age lines and some spotting which corresponds to oxidation on the back strap and overall retains a wonderful golden ivory patina with moderate wear on the eagle. Mechanics are fine, brilliant bore with a few small spots of pitting. Case has a couple of repaired cracks in the lid with some grain checks in the bottom and retains about all of a restored finish; interior is moderately faded showing light wear in a few spots; flask, probably not original to this box, is a copper and brass patina; mold retains virtually all of its original silver finish with some fine pitting on the edge of the sprue cutter and left side, appears to be unused; cartridge packets are fine as are the other accessories.