May 7, 2024 The Paul Friedrich Collection of Firearms & Gold Rush
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, May 7, 2024.
Circa 1859 per serial number. Classic '51 Navy with octagonal barrel round trigger guard, dovetailed German silver blade front sight, silver-plated brass straps, and checkered ivory grips. Matching full or partial numbers observed on frame, trigger guard, butt, rammer assembly, wedge, cylinder, and cylinder axle pin. Ivory grips with ivory spacer are marked in ink "1188" in channel under the backstrap. Engraved after Gustave Young and his shop with scrollwork on a punch dot background, with dog's head on left side of the rammer assembly, juxtaposed with a tulip head on right, and a wolf head on the hammer. Housed in a left handed holster marked "FOY / LOS ANGELES" on back, and decorated with carved florals, inset silver flowers, a silver toe with acanthus scroll and a bear in a flag, and a California grizzly at toe, incised with initials "JF". Top rim of holster decorated with silver florals and hanging silver chainlets. Accompanied by a previous auction description of a saddle by S.C. Foy, discussing Samuel C. Foy, and his business. Importantly, Foy was one of the premiere makers in Los Angeles, and particularly catered towards ranchers and cattle traders. CONDITION: Metal is essentially gunmetal grey throughout, mixed with a smooth chocolate brown patina. Engraving is somewhat softened by age. Typical handling marks and scratches from hard use throughout. Ivory grips are slightly misfit and have black lines on the base. Approximately half of the silver plate remains on the straps, possibly from a period resilver. Holster is very good, complete, with some crazing and alligatoring throughout. A good '51 and a holster with quite a bit of eye appeal, especially related to California.