COLT 1836-1862
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This page describes Historical Arms that were recently sold at auction by registered auction houses.
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ArtHitParade is not selling, offering or purchasing any commercial product whatever it is. This content is offered for a purpose of cultural and historical information.
Colt Paterson
Intro
The patents filed by Samuel Colt in 1836 for a repeating handgun are among the most significant for the US industry. Based on the revolver previously developed by Elisha Collier, he had designed a percussion revolver with folding trigger and revolving breech loading.
In 1837 he founds with a few shareholders the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company to exploit that patent. The factory is located in Paterson NJ. His range of five-shots firearms takes the brand name of Colt Paterson. The models differ in the gauge and in the barrel length.
Production begins with rifles and with the No. 1 model of revolver. This No. 1 using the .28 inches gauge is the pocket model designed for self-defense. It is nicknamed the Baby Paterson. Larger models soon follow : No. 2 and No. 3 for the belt and No. 5 for the holster.
Only 23 years old, Colt is much ahead of his time for the chain production with interchangeable parts. It is not sufficient. Users are disturbed by the five shots. They do not like the need to partially disassemble the barrel for reloading, which prevents to do this operation on horseback. The army is not interested.
The largest is the holster model No. 5 Texas Paterson in .36 caliber. About 1,000 copies were made from 1838 to 1840. Mexicans and Indians who were at war with the Republic of Texas could do nothing to resist against this five shot gun. Because they were extremely effective, these early revolvers are rare in good condition.
In 1837 he founds with a few shareholders the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company to exploit that patent. The factory is located in Paterson NJ. His range of five-shots firearms takes the brand name of Colt Paterson. The models differ in the gauge and in the barrel length.
Production begins with rifles and with the No. 1 model of revolver. This No. 1 using the .28 inches gauge is the pocket model designed for self-defense. It is nicknamed the Baby Paterson. Larger models soon follow : No. 2 and No. 3 for the belt and No. 5 for the holster.
Only 23 years old, Colt is much ahead of his time for the chain production with interchangeable parts. It is not sufficient. Users are disturbed by the five shots. They do not like the need to partially disassemble the barrel for reloading, which prevents to do this operation on horseback. The army is not interested.
The largest is the holster model No. 5 Texas Paterson in .36 caliber. About 1,000 copies were made from 1838 to 1840. Mexicans and Indians who were at war with the Republic of Texas could do nothing to resist against this five shot gun. Because they were extremely effective, these early revolvers are rare in good condition.
1
1838-1840 Texas Paterson # 141
2017 SOLD for $ 575K by RIAC
The serial number # 141 of the No. 5 Texas Paterson is a square back example. It has silver inlays, which is obviously a rare feature for a military gun. It appears to be un-fired and retains 70% of its original high polish blue finish. It is in its factory mahogany case with some rare accessories.
It was illustrated and described in "The Art of the Gun: Magnificent Colts" by Robert M. Lee and R.L. Wilson. With a provenance from the Robert Lee collection, it was sold by RIAC for $ 575K from a lower estimate of $ 350K on May 6, 2017, lot 2124. It was sold for $ 430K by the same auction house on December 4, 2021, lot 1241. Please watch the video shared in 2021 by the auction house.
It was illustrated and described in "The Art of the Gun: Magnificent Colts" by Robert M. Lee and R.L. Wilson. With a provenance from the Robert Lee collection, it was sold by RIAC for $ 575K from a lower estimate of $ 350K on May 6, 2017, lot 2124. It was sold for $ 430K by the same auction house on December 4, 2021, lot 1241. Please watch the video shared in 2021 by the auction house.
One of the highlights of our December Premier was this No. 5 squareback "Texas" Paterson. Silver banded, cased, and with full compliment of accessories, it brought $431,250 - one of the top three items of the auction. pic.twitter.com/4Q15VZpUoF
— Rock Island Auction (@RIAuction) December 27, 2021
2
1838-1840 Texas Paterson # 515
2011 SOLD for $ 980K by Heritage
An early example with serial number 84 was sold for $ 420K by Bonhams and Butterfields on November 17, 2008, lot 4139. In its original case, it had kept 96% of the blue finish of its gun.
The serial number 515 of the No. 5 was never fired. Its blue finish is intact to 98% and it is still kept in its mahogany case with all its original accessories. It was sold for $ 980K by Heritage on September 18, 2011 and for $ 800K by RIAC on May 3, 2014, lot 1147.
The serial number 515 of the No. 5 was never fired. Its blue finish is intact to 98% and it is still kept in its mahogany case with all its original accessories. It was sold for $ 980K by Heritage on September 18, 2011 and for $ 800K by RIAC on May 3, 2014, lot 1147.
3
1839-1840 Baby Paterson
2019 SOLD for $ 640K by RIAC
Production is well established but sales are catastrophic. A report made in July 1839 states that 490 No. 1 had been hitherto assembled but only 128 were sold. Bankruptcy is inevitable despite two last minute improvements, the much awaited automatic loading lever and the rounded shoulders. In December 1842 John Ehlers, who had been the main shareholder, bought the stock in a court ordered auction and continued the assembly and sale until the stock was depleted.
On May 4, 2019, RIAC sold for $ 640K from a lower estimate of $ 450K a Colt No. 1 in near new condition with its case and accessories, lot 1007. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
This Baby keeps 98% of its original polish blue. It has rounded shoulders but does not have the reloading lever, enabling to date its assembly in 1839 or 1840. The lever was so indispensable that many assembled units were factory modified. A Colt Paterson remaining in its original configuration is a rarity.
A presentation or exhibition Baby with a mother-of-pearl grip, a factory engraving and an extremely short barrel was sold for $ 410K by RIAC on April 25, 2015. A Colt-Ehlers Improved No. 1 was sold for $ 470K by the same auction house on November 30, 2018. Both retain 95% of their original blue.
On May 4, 2019, RIAC sold for $ 640K from a lower estimate of $ 450K a Colt No. 1 in near new condition with its case and accessories, lot 1007. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
This Baby keeps 98% of its original polish blue. It has rounded shoulders but does not have the reloading lever, enabling to date its assembly in 1839 or 1840. The lever was so indispensable that many assembled units were factory modified. A Colt Paterson remaining in its original configuration is a rarity.
A presentation or exhibition Baby with a mother-of-pearl grip, a factory engraving and an extremely short barrel was sold for $ 410K by RIAC on April 25, 2015. A Colt-Ehlers Improved No. 1 was sold for $ 470K by the same auction house on November 30, 2018. Both retain 95% of their original blue.
1847 Colt Walker
Intro
Samuel Colt had gone bankrupt in 1842. His biggest model of revolver was the No. 5 for holster, made in 1,000 copies between 1838 and 1841 and known as the Texas Paterson.
In 1846, war broke out between the United States and Mexico. The Texan officers had not forgotten the effectiveness of No. 5. Captain of the Texas Rangers, Jack Hays sends one of his officers, Samuel Walker, to New York City in search of the inventor.
Walker urges Colt for improving power and accuracy. The new revolver produced in 1847 will fire six shots instead of five. It will be the first hand gun to be as effective as a rifle at 100 yards and as a musket at 200 yards.
Samuel Colt's meeting with President Polk in December 1846 is decisive for the restart of his business. The government orders to the inventor 1,000 Single Action Revolvers o equip the 500 men of the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen, which is two per man with no attrition.
Colt no longer has a production line and the revolvers are manufactured in 1847 by Eli Blake in Whitneyville CT.
The 1,000 copies are numbered with a breakdown into five companies arbitrarily named C, A, B, D and E, to which are assigned 220 pieces for the first four and 120 for the E company. The cylinder is numbered cumulatively from 1 to 1000, respecting the sequence of numbering in the successive companies.
500 revolvers are divided between two regiments in October and November 1847. The rest, delivered to the Baton Rouge arsenal, will soon be used for border operations.
Walker is killed in action in October 1847. The new model was named Colt Walker as a tribute to the key role played by the hero for its development.
The effectiveness of the new Colt on the battlefield is beyond doubt. It is however the victim of its novelty : insufficiently trained soldiers insert too much powder and the cylinders explode. They are repaired by the factory but as a consequence the military Colt Walkers in perfect original condition are extremely rare.
Once the government order is honored, 100 additional pieces numbered from 1001 to 1100 on the same production line, to use attrition components manufactured by Blake and also to anticipate the transfer of the machinery and tools from Whitneyville to the new Colt plant in Hartford CT.
In 1846, war broke out between the United States and Mexico. The Texan officers had not forgotten the effectiveness of No. 5. Captain of the Texas Rangers, Jack Hays sends one of his officers, Samuel Walker, to New York City in search of the inventor.
Walker urges Colt for improving power and accuracy. The new revolver produced in 1847 will fire six shots instead of five. It will be the first hand gun to be as effective as a rifle at 100 yards and as a musket at 200 yards.
Samuel Colt's meeting with President Polk in December 1846 is decisive for the restart of his business. The government orders to the inventor 1,000 Single Action Revolvers o equip the 500 men of the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen, which is two per man with no attrition.
Colt no longer has a production line and the revolvers are manufactured in 1847 by Eli Blake in Whitneyville CT.
The 1,000 copies are numbered with a breakdown into five companies arbitrarily named C, A, B, D and E, to which are assigned 220 pieces for the first four and 120 for the E company. The cylinder is numbered cumulatively from 1 to 1000, respecting the sequence of numbering in the successive companies.
500 revolvers are divided between two regiments in October and November 1847. The rest, delivered to the Baton Rouge arsenal, will soon be used for border operations.
Walker is killed in action in October 1847. The new model was named Colt Walker as a tribute to the key role played by the hero for its development.
The effectiveness of the new Colt on the battlefield is beyond doubt. It is however the victim of its novelty : insufficiently trained soldiers insert too much powder and the cylinders explode. They are repaired by the factory but as a consequence the military Colt Walkers in perfect original condition are extremely rare.
Once the government order is honored, 100 additional pieces numbered from 1001 to 1100 on the same production line, to use attrition components manufactured by Blake and also to anticipate the transfer of the machinery and tools from Whitneyville to the new Colt plant in Hartford CT.
1
Civilian # 1022
2018 SOLD for $ 1.84M by RIAC
The first non-governmental units of the Colt Walker are presented to contributors. The pair 1001-1002 is offered in June 1847 to Jack Hays, the Texas Ranger officer who had understood the operational advantage of using Colt's patented inventions. The pair 1009-1010 is attributed to Samuel Walker, the young captain who had been delegated by Hays to discuss with Colt their ideas for technical improvements. Walker died in action in October 1847 and the model, military and civilian, was nicknamed Colt Walker in his honor.
Civilian revolvers are available through the trade. The serial number 1022 is purchased by a Danish sea captain to a retailer in New York City. It is the only one of the first commercial series to still be housed in its original case and it is accompanied by a guarantee of authenticity handwritten by Samuel Colt himself. It retains 50 to 60% of its bright blue finish.
This piece often described in the specialized literature was sold for $ 1.84M from a lower estimate of $ 800K by RIAC on April 13, 2018, lot 60. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Civilian revolvers are available through the trade. The serial number 1022 is purchased by a Danish sea captain to a retailer in New York City. It is the only one of the first commercial series to still be housed in its original case and it is accompanied by a guarantee of authenticity handwritten by Samuel Colt himself. It retains 50 to 60% of its bright blue finish.
This piece often described in the specialized literature was sold for $ 1.84M from a lower estimate of $ 800K by RIAC on April 13, 2018, lot 60. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
We are proud to announce that the catalog for our April Premiere Firearms Auction is now online, ready for viewing and bidding. This promises to be a most exciting sale. https://t.co/Fcy6hjousK pic.twitter.com/wpQNyyvrOT
— Rock Island Auction (@RIAuction) March 3, 2018
2
Military #1000
2019 SOLD for $ 1.03M by RIAC
On September 6, 2019, RIAC sold for $ 1.03M from a lower estimate of $ 650K the number 120 of the E company, lot 62. The number 1000 on the cylinder confirms that it is the very last Walker in the operation commissioned by the army. With the exception of a small lever and a screw, it is fully in its original configuration. Its very fine condition is comparable to the A-210.
The fact that the last Walker remained in a state close to perfection is a coincidence. This firearm had been used : about 50% of the blue finish is replaced by a patina of use brought by the handling and the holster. It was discovered in the 1970s in a ranch in Wyoming, in the family of a Civil War soldier who may have been its first owner. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The fact that the last Walker remained in a state close to perfection is a coincidence. This firearm had been used : about 50% of the blue finish is replaced by a patina of use brought by the handling and the holster. It was discovered in the 1970s in a ranch in Wyoming, in the family of a Civil War soldier who may have been its first owner. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
3
Military for A Company # 210
2008 SOLD for $ 920K by James D. Julia
The Colt Walker number 210 of the A Company, which had been part of the very first delivery in October 1847, is one of the best surviving military examples. It was sold for $ 920K by James D. Julia on October 7, 2008.
4
Civilian # 1078
2014 SOLD for $ 550K by RIAC
The Colt Walker number 1078 was sold for $ 550K on May 4, 2014 by RIAC, lot 3116 in the catalog. It is keeping 80% of its original blue finish.
While preparing this sale the specialists at RIAC found that two components of the firearm had faint traces of inscriptions for two different companies, B and E, of the Mounted Riflemen. This civilian gun has been assembled by retrieving elements on military units certainly disassembled due to malfunction.
The Colt Civilian Walker is one of the rarest variants by this company. This new information concerning the conditions of its implementation makes it even more important in the history of Colt.
While preparing this sale the specialists at RIAC found that two components of the firearm had faint traces of inscriptions for two different companies, B and E, of the Mounted Riflemen. This civilian gun has been assembled by retrieving elements on military units certainly disassembled due to malfunction.
The Colt Civilian Walker is one of the rarest variants by this company. This new information concerning the conditions of its implementation makes it even more important in the history of Colt.
Model 1849
Intro
The restart of Samuel Colt's activities from 1847 in Hartford CT is one of the most successful industrial histories of the nineteenth century.
Until then, his extraordinary invention was not enough to ensure the economic viability of his company. Back to business, he became one of those visionary Americans who captured existing markets (including the military), created new ones, and implemented new production techniques that could absorb the growth ... making him one of the wealthiest men of his country.
After the Colt Walker, nothing can stop the business development of Colt whose industrial organization was far ahead of his time.
The pocket revolver model 1849 is another key step. Luxury guns may be a useful gift. Colt hired artists to inlay his firearms in silver. Gustave Young begins his long career which will end four decades later at Smith and Wesson.
Colt went to the Great Exhibition of London in 1851 to present his ideas, well ahead of their time, on mass production. Similar concepts will make the success of American cars more than half a century later !
He then endeavored to establish factories in Europe, and had opened to him the royal and imperial courts. To counter the social issues, he was even granted by the state of Connecticut a convenience position of lieutenant colonel.
Until then, his extraordinary invention was not enough to ensure the economic viability of his company. Back to business, he became one of those visionary Americans who captured existing markets (including the military), created new ones, and implemented new production techniques that could absorb the growth ... making him one of the wealthiest men of his country.
After the Colt Walker, nothing can stop the business development of Colt whose industrial organization was far ahead of his time.
The pocket revolver model 1849 is another key step. Luxury guns may be a useful gift. Colt hired artists to inlay his firearms in silver. Gustave Young begins his long career which will end four decades later at Smith and Wesson.
Colt went to the Great Exhibition of London in 1851 to present his ideas, well ahead of their time, on mass production. Similar concepts will make the success of American cars more than half a century later !
He then endeavored to establish factories in Europe, and had opened to him the royal and imperial courts. To counter the social issues, he was even granted by the state of Connecticut a convenience position of lieutenant colonel.
1
1853 Gold Inlaid
2012 SOLD for $ 1.15M by Sotheby's
A gold inlaid Colt Model 1849 with many animal figures, made circa 1853, was sold for $ 1.15M from a lower estimate of $ 800K by Sotheby's on January 21, 2012, lot 200.
The history of this recently discovered piece is not known, but its serial number is the very next from another gold inlaid copy which was presented to Tsar Nicholas I.
The history of this recently discovered piece is not known, but its serial number is the very next from another gold inlaid copy which was presented to Tsar Nicholas I.
2
1854 ex Brigham Young
2016 SOLD for $ 630K by RIAC
On April 30, 2016, RIAC sold for $ 630K at lot 1222 a Colt revolver model 1849 presented in 1854 to Brigham Young by a firearms dealer located in St. Louis, a city suitably situated to ensure a link between the East and the Wild West. This unit is engraved with white patterns of floral scrolls and the wolf head that are the usual characteristics of the art of Gustave Young.
The addressee of the gift, Brigham Young, is a towering figure in the history of the West. He was the man who decided the Mormons to leave the East where their safety could not be assured. He supervised the transfer of countless convoys of wagons to Great Salt Lake City and was a tireless organizer of the economic and social activities of his community. His political skill was recognized and he had become in 1851 the first governor of the Utah Territory.
Brigham Young kept his Colt in excellent condition with the idea that he might have to use it.
The addressee of the gift, Brigham Young, is a towering figure in the history of the West. He was the man who decided the Mormons to leave the East where their safety could not be assured. He supervised the transfer of countless convoys of wagons to Great Salt Lake City and was a tireless organizer of the economic and social activities of his community. His political skill was recognized and he had become in 1851 the first governor of the Utah Territory.
Brigham Young kept his Colt in excellent condition with the idea that he might have to use it.
We've received several requests and are happy to announce that the Brigham Young Colt revolver sold for $632,500! pic.twitter.com/PRnj8lIu5P
— Rock Island Auction (@RIAuction) May 1, 2016
Press Release: Direct Descendants of Mormon Leader to Sell Historic Revolverhttps://t.co/Gx29PJ2BWF pic.twitter.com/y3lck7OezH
— Rock Island Auction (@RIAuction) April 12, 2016
1857 Dragoon
2019 SOLD for $ 1.67M by RIAC
Gun collectors enjoy vintage pieces in their original configuration, in pristine condition, with superb engraving and impeccable provenance. The Colt revolver serial number 16477 is a wonder in all these criteria. It was sold for $ 1.67M from a lower estimate of $ 1.2M on May 3, 2019 by RIAC, lot 8. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Designed in 1848, the Colt Dragoon was an improvement to the Colt Walker. 16477 is a third model Dragoon made circa 1857. It was engraved by Gustave Young with lush floral scrolls and a few animal heads, in the signature profuse style of this artist between 1852 and 1869. Other revolvers in the same series of numbers have been used by Colt as presentation arms.
16477 was inscribed in the name of Colonel P.M. Milliken, a likely intentional misspelling for Millikin. A colonel during the Spanish-American War of 1898, Paul Minor Millikin had inherited this item from his father John Minor Millikin, a colonel of the Union Army killed in action in 1862 while preventing the Confederates from taking a supply train.
A native of rural Ohio, John Minor had been known as an accomplished rider and swordsman. In the year of his death, his position as an officer had been twice challenged. The purchase by him of such a top luxury firearm seems unlikely. A posthumous presentation for his ultimate act of heroism is however not documented.
Designed in 1848, the Colt Dragoon was an improvement to the Colt Walker. 16477 is a third model Dragoon made circa 1857. It was engraved by Gustave Young with lush floral scrolls and a few animal heads, in the signature profuse style of this artist between 1852 and 1869. Other revolvers in the same series of numbers have been used by Colt as presentation arms.
16477 was inscribed in the name of Colonel P.M. Milliken, a likely intentional misspelling for Millikin. A colonel during the Spanish-American War of 1898, Paul Minor Millikin had inherited this item from his father John Minor Millikin, a colonel of the Union Army killed in action in 1862 while preventing the Confederates from taking a supply train.
A native of rural Ohio, John Minor had been known as an accomplished rider and swordsman. In the year of his death, his position as an officer had been twice challenged. The purchase by him of such a top luxury firearm seems unlikely. A posthumous presentation for his ultimate act of heroism is however not documented.
