SN: 1704. This most famous of all Winchester Cartridge Boards, and the last one produced in the 19th Century shows 182 metallic cartridges plus 15 bullets, 20 shot shells and 9 primer and cap tins. The board is dark green color of dense cardboard with the center vignette the famous A. B. Frost scene showing two hunters and a bear they have apparently just dispatched. Their Winchester rifles are leaning on a log upon which one of the hunters is sitting. The left vignette is of a flying mallard drake and the right side is a bull moose head. Top center has the bright red Winchester Repeating Arms Co logo with various other advertisements and the address across the bottom. The exposed image is about 48-3/4" x 31-1/4" and mounted in a replacement walnut stained frame with gold gesso inner frame that measures 56" w x 38-3/4 h. Back of the board has its orig heavy paper covering that is completely intact showing only one reattached cartridge which is the 4 ga brass shotshell. Center of the backing has the overlabel marked "PRESENTED WITH COMPLIMENTS / OF THE / WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. / PLEASE HANG IN A PROMINENT PLACE" and has the SN stenciled below. While this model of cartridge board is a little more common than some of the early ones, it is still considered to be the most beautiful and most sought after of all the Winchester cartridge boards. Few survive today with bright orig artwork and orig color. SIZE: PROVENANCE: The Estate Collection of Phil A. Bleakney, Jr. CONDITION: Extremely fine, complete and orig except for the frame, as noted. The green board remains strong and bright with only a few very light nicks & scratches and two holes, one on each end where it was previously attached to a wall. Most unusually, the red lettering is still crisp and bright showing very little fading. The gold outline of the lettering is lightly faded. The board behind some of the cartridges shows slight rubs. Cartridges have bright, clean cases with lead bullets that are not oxidized. Paper shot shell cases are lightly faded. Taken as a whole, this is one of the finest Model 1897 Winchester cartridge boards to come to market in recent years. 49059-203 JR (10,000-20,000)