Date: Mon 26-Apr-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: SHIRLE

Quick Words:

Butterfield

Full Text:

Butterfield's Sale Of Arms & Armor

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. -- Well over $3 million was paid for edged weapons,

bayonets, militaria and antique European and American firearms during a

two-day sale simulcast on February 22 and 23 between Butterfield &

Butterfield's galleries in San Francisco and Elgin, Ill. Cased guns from a

single collection were of great interest as more than 1,350 lots were offered.

The highlight of the auction, including lots from the Burt Klein Collection,

Long Island, N.Y., was a rare Winchester first model 1876 "one of 1,000"

leaver action rifle. This .45 caliber rifle with inlaid silver bands was

offered with a Winchester Museum letter confirming its original shipment in

November of 1877. It sold for $96,000.

The second place finishers for the auction comprised a three-way tie between a

Remington model 1875 single action revolver and two Colts -- a model 1847

Whitneyville Walker Dragoon and Colt model 1851 Navy percussion revolver. All

three sold for $68,500 each. The Remington stands as a superb example of

firearm craftsmanship featuring engraved floral scroll work on a nickel-plated

finish with mother-of-pearl grips.

A cased pair of Colt Dragoon percussion revolvers (3rd model) doubled their

estimate to sell for $34,000. Another lot that sold for double its estimated

price was a factory-engraved cased Colt Dragoon percussion revolver (London

3rd model), which brought $23,000. A rare Winchester Repeating Arms Company

cartridge board in very good condition with all original cartridges present

rounded out this trio of lots to sell for $24,150.

On the second day of the sale a world record was set for a rare Colt Paterson

pocket model charger flask, serial number 88, which sold for $22,500, and

several historically significant lots were sold to highly competitive bidding.

Two of these lots belonged to Wild West Show personality Anne Oakley.

The first, a Parker Hammerless double barrel shotgun with accompanying letters

of provenance, sold for $13,800. The other rare object, selling for $10,925,

was a rare autographed imperial size sepia tone studio portrait of Annie

Oakley depicting the trick-shot expert standing before a painted landscape

backdrop. In the picture, Oakley wars a Western hat and shooting costume

adorned with 16 medals and poses with a sidelock double-barrel hammerless

shotgun.

Also sold was a pair of ship's binoculars from the historic battleship USS

Arizona, which now rests at the bottom of Pearl Harbor. This rare artifact was

removed from the battleship after the infamous attack and sold for $10,925,

double of its estimate. Also offered were powder horns and models of deck

guns, cannon, field mortars and cast bronze guns.