GUN SPRING 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.
VERY RARE CASED ENGRAVED SMITH & WESSON NO. 1-1/2 OLD MODEL SPUR TRIGGER REVOLVER.SMITH & WESSON1-1/2 OLD MODEL636632RFESACal. 32RF. Rare revolver with 3-1/2" ribbed oct bbl, half-moon front sight and 2-line address with patent dates. Cylinder is unfluted with 5 chambers and revolver is mounted with smooth 2-pc ivory grips. Left side of buttstrap, under the grip is marked with the assembly number "E4" with matching assembly number on rear face of bbl lug and front face of cylinder. Revolver is engraved in L. D. Nimschke-style, probably by the master himself with about 65-70% coverage beautiful intertwined foliate arabesque patterns that has very fine pearled background. Front flat of the top strap and correspondingly rear edge of bbl flat are engraved in mirror image half flower blossoms. Top of the backstrap and around the muzzle are engraved to match with geometric patterns down the backstrap and on the buttstrap. Cylinder has a full band of matching foliate arabesque patterns. Accompanied by an orig burgundy velvet lined mahogany casing, compartmented in the bottom for the revolver, a cartridge block in the left front with recesses for 40 cartridges containing 36 rds of 32RF short cartridges with mixed head stamps and a recess in the front edge of the cartridge block contains an orig Smith & Wesson steel cleaning rod. Also accompanied by a Smith & Wesson factory letter which identifies this revolver as being shipped Oct 25 1865 to James D. Brewer Hardware, Corner of Main & State Street, Springfield, Mass, as having a 3-1/2" bbl, engraved and ivory grips in a 2-gun shipment. James D. Brewer was born in 1819 and after finishing high school and working in Massachusetts, Ohio and New York City in various clerking positions as a 20 year old returned to Springfield and established the James D. Brewer Hardware Company. In 1836, Mr. Brewer along with various other Springfield luminaries, including Horace Smith founded the Chicopee Bank. Under the National Bank Act of 1865, with a capital infusion of $400,000 they incorporated the Chicopee National Bank. Mr. Brewer would serve as its first President 1865-1866 and Horace Smith would later become its President, 1887-1893. In 1846, Mr. Brewer incorporated the Springfield Water Power Company and in 1847 he incorporated the Springfield Gas & Light Company. In 1857, Mr. Brewer along with Homer Foote and Daniel B. Wesson incorporated the Springfield Safe & Trust Company. In addition to all of his other business interests, Mr. Brewer was the Chief Engineer of the Fire Department and Director of the Agawam Canal Company. He died in February 1886. CONDITION: Very fine plus, all matching except grips which are unnumbered. Overall retains about 80% strong orig silver with losses from flaking, not wear. Engraving remains sharp and clean with only a few small scattered spots of rust. Grips are sound with a few minor age lines and show a golden ivory patina. Strong bright bore with a few spots of pitting. Case is sound with normal handling and storage nicks & scratches and retains most of its orig varnish. Interior is heavily faded with light soil and damage from the hammer spur. Ammunition is oxidized with tarnish on the copper cases. Altogether, a fine scarce revolver. 51820-3 JRL (6,500-8,500)