GUN SPRING 2016
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/14/2016
INCREDIBLE ALVIN WHITE ENGRAVED COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER COMMEMORATING WILD BILL HICKOK. COLT SAA 59088 45 COLT IVORY Cal. 45 Colt. Blue & color case hardened with 7-1/2" bbl, thinned front sight and 1-line block letter address. Left side of the black powder frame has 3-line patent dates and left front web of trigger guard is marked "45 CAL". Ejector head is half-moon style and the base pin is early style with dimpled ends. Revolver is incredibly engraved by Master Engraver Alvin White with D-plus coverage fine foliate & floral arabesque patterns with very fine shaded background. Screws are all also engraved. Left recoil shield has the raised gold inlay of the bust of an Indian warrior with long hair, a necklace & two feathers. Top of the backstrap is inlaid with the raised gold bust of William Butler (Wild Bill) Hickok. Backstrap is engraved in script "C. M. Williams". Left side of front strap, under the grip is inlaid with Mr. White''s gold cartouche marked "AA WHITE / ENG.". Mounted with a 1-pc "certifiable pre-ban elephant ivory" grip that is constructed in the orig old-fashioned manner of two slabs of ivory attached to a central ivory spacer block. Right side has a very detailed, deep relief carved figure of a "Can-Can" girl. Backstrap channel of the grip is engraved "Grips By AA White Eng.". Accompanied by a Colt factory letter which identifies this revolver in Cal. 45 Colt, bbl length and type of stocks not listed, blue finish, shipped to Hartley & Graham, NY NY on Oct 11, 1880 in a 100 gun shipment. Available information from a previous sale indicates that the engraving on the revolver and carved grips were done by Mr. White in the mid-1950s and that at that time Mr. White had only ever carved 1 other dance hall girl. PROVENANCE: The Brad Shepherd Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine, except for the grips. No disassembly was effected to check for matching numbers. Overall, revolver retains about 99% crisp custom finish with bright blue and strong, bright case colors. Left side & top edge of hammer have turned dark with finish loss on the left side of spur. Grip is sound with some age lines and shows no wear with a fine, mellow ivory patina. Mechanics are fine. Bright shiny bore. 50061-1 JR122 (8,000-12,000)