March 1-2, 2018 Firearms, Militaria & Sporting
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/1/2018
Manufactured 1884. This rifle features full round barrel, button magazine, sporting front sight, unusual "W.F. Sheard" folding leaf rear sight, short walnut forend (8 - 3/8"), rifle buttstock, blued finish, and rifle butt (replaced). English proofed. Barrel stamped ".50 CAL". This rifle was shipped to England where it was engraved with presentation ribbon "A.E. PEASE" on right sideplate. Lovely engraving on frame and dust cover. Left panel has a tiger head, the "Big Game" so popular amongst British gentry in India during the 1870-80's. Frame retains 90% of the English applied blue finish. Sharp legends. Barrel is a pleasing mix of blue and soft patina, as is forend cap. Colors on hammer and lever have silvered out. Wood is excellent with a few minor dings having been refinished at one time. Fine bore and action. Sir Alfred Pease of Durham, England was born into wealth and was a member of Parliament in 1885. He was a banker, politician, big game hunter, explorer and colonial administrator, as well as the author of 14 books including "The Book of the Lion" and was a lifelong friend and hunting partner of Theodore Roosevelt and his son Kermit. He is mentioned in Roosevelt's book "African Game Trails" and wrote a letter to Pease in 1909 exalting his book about lion hunting. T.R. and Kermit were his guests when hunting in Africa. T.R. considered him one of the best game shots he had ever seen. A beautiful, historically significant English shipped Winchester with tie-in to the famed Teddy Roosevelt. Factory research indicates that serial No. 39765 was shipped as a round 22" Express rifle with plain trigger, half magazine and Swiss butt on July 31st, 1884.