Date: Fri 09-Oct-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: SHIRLE

Quick Words:

Firearms

Full Text:

Divine Auction Of Firearms & Edged Weapons

w/9 cuts

By Dick Friz

BEDFORD, NH -- Collecting Civil War artifacts and memorabilia have become

nothing short of an American passion. Even before this watershed event ended,

Yankee and Reb soldiers were known to swap buttons, badges and canteens.

Diehards even today continue to comb battlefields and search attics for

mementos.

Authentic examples command major dollars and are increasingly difficult to

find. But in recent months, no less than a half-dozen auction houses have

mounted significant collections for sale -- purveying everything from

Confederate currency to dags, tintypes uniforms, edged weapons and firearms.

The list includes E.S. Eldridge, Windham, Conn.; Roan, Inc, Coogan Square,

Penn.; Dick Withington, R. LeClair and Devine Auction in New Hampshire; and

William "Pete" Harvey of Amherst, N.H., with a selection of 1860s Army colt

revolvers and single action rifles in an October 14 firearms sale.

Gun collectors, history buffs, curators and dealers from five foreign nations

and 29 states, with strong delegations from Florida, Tennessee, Virginia, New

York and Pennsylvania, convened at Devine Auctions at the Wayfarer Convention

Center in Bedford on August 30 to view 796 lots of firearms that sold with

Gatling gun rapidity in a little over five hours. The sale rang up an

impressive $460,980.95 total, including 15 percent buyer's add-on.

Although auction owner Joe Devine, who's been at this business for over 40

years, is himself the house specialist in sporting firearms, at this sale he

offered a larger selection than usual of Civil War entries including military

swords, revolvers, muskets and carbines.

Early in the bidding action, a .44 caliber Colt 1860 Army Standard Round

cylinder revolver bearing a few scratch marks sold at $2,070. This was quickly

followed by a .69 caliber Whitney model 1861 US Navy "Plymouth" which climbed

to $3,450. Much to the delight of the winning bidder, a scarce Richmond CSA

.58 caliber cavalry carbine type III, was not as fiercely contested, as

expected, at $2,300, a real come down from its $12/18,000 estimate.

Another important piece created a flurry of raised paddles because it retained

90 percent of the original bright blue finish. In addition, it was a

harder-to-come-by, cased Confederate .44 caliber with 5‹ inch octagon barrel

Kerr percussion revolver. The case contained a double cavity case mold, a

small brass Hawksley powder flask, and other accessories. Hailed in the

catalogue as "the best condition Kerr we have sold," it almost doubled high

estimate, triggering a $8,050 top bid by a Boston buyer.

Two non-Civil War contemporary sporting shotguns made the highlight films. A

scarce Parker presentation VHE .410 on 000 frame ejector gun, manufactured in

1937 with 99 percent plus original blue, was, in Joe Devine's estimation,

"Mintereeno!"

It zeroed in at $17,600. A model 21 12-gauge factory engraved three barreled

beauty with Alden George Ulrich engraved images of pheasants, grouse, quail

from 1938, the finest Winchester ever made, flushed out $24,150.

Riveting attention was Devine's arsenal of edged weapons. A fine Civil War

presentation grade foot officer's sword by W. Clauberg of Solingen with a 30

inch blade was exquisitely etched with a large martial panoply and E Pluribus

Unum in a ribbon above eagle and shield. It handily topped estimates at

$8,050. Another deluxe foot officer's sword, presented to Lt George L.

Schloendorff of the 47 NY Infantry, killed in action at Port Walthall, Ga.,

sold rather reasonably (arms belonging to those killed in action invariably

command a premium) at $5,750.

An 1850 W.H. Horstmann & Sons staff and field officer's sword presented to Col

Robert Sewell, commanding officer of the 38th New Jersey Regiment,

surprisingly sold reasonably at $2,300. The next entry, a Wilkinson Infantry

officer's sword of Captain Lionel J. Trafford of the 34th Royal Sussex

Regiment, had an illustrious past. In the 1880s Trafford commanded an escort

group of steamships in an effort to rescue Major General "Chinese" Gordon at

Khartoum. Included with the sword was a copy of a hand-written narrative of

the Sudan expedition, including large drawings, all by Capt Trafford. The lot

commanded $5,750 and was reunited with the Trafford heirs in the United

Kingdom.

By far the most intriguing bit of sword play focused on a truly museum quality

presentation saber and scabbard of a Union general who was awarded the

Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery at Gettysburg during the repulse

of the famed Pickett's charge. With gold washed braid and lion's head hilt,

the 34 inch Damascus blade is etched W. Claubert/ trademark/ Solingen. An

engraved plaque on scabbard reads Presented to Inspector General Alexander S.

Webb, 1862 by General W.F. Barry. The motto Union Forever is bordered in

floral scroll work with cannon and flag at the ricasso. The winning bidder

from Tennessee paid $27,600, and by sale's end was the big spender at $45,885.

Other Auction Fronts

Dick Withington sold a mini-collection of over 30 lots of Confederate currency

on August 28. This windfall from the Mercier estate in Augusta, Ga., had a

face value of over $80,000 and came to light in early July after being stashed

in a locked metal box for over 130 years. A superb uncirculated $1,000

Montgomery. Ala., note issued at the war's onset in May 28, 1861, topped all

bids at $19,350. Five lots each of consecutively numbered $100 notes, in

bundles of $100 each and still wrapped in their original paper bands, brought

$7,150 to $7,700 per lot, or just over $70 per note. A total of 791 notes,

most of them uncirculated and in mint condition, commanded over $70,000

including ten percent buyer's premium.

R. Leclair held an auction of 500 items of militaria including 250 edged

weapons at the Best Western in Keene, N.H., on September 6. This was a

lifelong collection of Robert Jardine of Greenfield, Mass. Highlights included

a Confederate bowie knife at $825; an Ames Model 1860 light artillery sword

with engraved blade and scabbard, which by all appearances had gone through

major skirmishes, at $440. A Union cartridge box added $412.50 and a fearsome

looking Dahlgren bayonet lunged to $605. Grand Army of the Republic reunion

memorabilia is an increasingly popular Civil War spin-off, perhaps because

items are still affordable. A framed grouping of eight GAR medals and ribbons

sold at $357.50.

Bob, Chuck and Rich Roan of Roan, Inc, Cogan Station, Penn., sold a number of

firearms plus a mini-collection of over 60 Civil War tintypes and

daguerreotypes on September 17, and several of the top selling images, a

$5,500 full plate dag and a ¬ plate tintype of a Union infantryman at $660,

are shown on these pages.