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Documented Historic Factory Engraved Black Powder Colt Single Action Army Revolver From the Personal

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:140,000.00 USD Estimated At:350,000.00 - 550,000.00 USD
Documented Historic Factory Engraved Black Powder Colt Single Action Army Revolver From the Personal
Estimate: $350000 - 550000
Rock Island Auction Company is excited and proud to present this astonishing revolver, it's extraordinary pedigree, documentation, its beauty and condition, mate to Serial No. 147306, the Bob Dalton Colt Single Action Army. The Dalton Gang is now considered the last of the great frontier outlaw gangs that stalked the lawless American West. According to Emmett Dalton, the raid on Coffeyville and its audacious simultaneous two bank hold up was Bob Dalton's attempt to one-up the reputation of Jesse James and the James & Younger gang. Having this sense of history as part of their grand plan, specially engraved revolvers were purchased by the Dalton Gang from the Colt factory to not only out do the James & Younger gang but to do so in flamboyant style. Accompanied by a letter from world famous author and Colt firearms expert R.L. Wilson in which he writes: “for more than 60 years the writer has been a keen collector and student of the American West and of historic and fine firearms. In all that period he has yet to encounter a treasure trove such as the saga of the Dalton Gang Colt Single Action Army Revolvers. Further Wilson writes “The documentation of serial number 147307 as one of the pair of Bob Dalton’s Colt Single Actions carried on that fateful and historic day is in a classification of it’s own in the annals of firearms used by outlaws and lawmen in the Wild West. This revolver is accompanied by extensive documentation including a Colt factory letter, articles in periodicals, affidavits, death records, sales receipts from the sale of the Dalton's property and an original copy of the Elmira Daily Advertiser, from Elmira, N.Y. dated Thursday October 6, 1892. Three notarized affidavits are as follows: One is from Edwin B. Neale and states that Bert Read loaned this revolver number 147307 to the Dalton Museum around 1960. The two discussed the gun around 1960 and Mr. Neale was told that the gun was purchased at the auction held to sell the possessions taken from the Daltons that were killed during the bank robberies in Coffeyville, Kansas on October 5, 1892. The gun was purchased by Read's father H.W. Read who owned H.W. Read's Department Store. A sign was made up to be displayed with the gun in the museum showing the owners as Mr. Bert Read and John Read Neale, and the sign also accompanies this revolver. The gun was displayed at the Dalton defenders Museum until the fall of 1991. The second affidavit is from Barbara Read Neale the granddaughter of H.W. Read, daughter of Joe Read and niece of Bert Read who inherited the gun when H.W. Read died and also states the gun was on display until the fall of 1991 when it was removed by John Read Neale for personal reasons. The third affidavit is from Maurine Read the wife of Joe Read which states that the gun was inherited by Bert Read and gives a brief history of the H.W. Read's Department Store which was founded in 1872 and was still operating in 1892 the time of the infamous Dalton raid. All three identify the gun by serial number and explain the reason for the gun being left to John Read Neale because he was the last male heir to have the name "Read" in his name. There is also a notarized history of the revolver and explains that the gun was purchased at the auction selling the Dalton possessions by a W.H. Clark who bought the gun for H.W. Read.
A copy of the original Probate Court record lists 4 items sold at that auction including "1 colt 45 Revolver" to Clark. There is a copy of part of the page from the Coffeyville Journal January 12, 1893 listing a number of items sold at the auction including "Bob's revolver to W.H. Clark" for $31.00. There is a copy of the original Affidavit Of Death for Robert Dalton which lists personal items taken from him after his death, which among the items lists "six shooters". There is a receipt acknowledging receipt of "Bob Dalton's Gun" by John R. Neale from the Coffeyville Historical Society Dalton Defenders Museum on September 23, 1991 which was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Society. There is a copy of the Affidavit of Death for Richard Broadwell. Two photos of the four dead gang members laid out for public viewing, one with Bob's Winchester lying across he and his brother Grat and two photos of the C.M. Condon bank. There is an article written by Bill Gerber in the June 1995 addition of "The Gun Report" who did a lot of research into the Dalton revolvers. He had traded a mint cased Texas Paterson for a engraved, pearl gripped 45 caliber, 5 1/2 inch barrel black powder single action serial number 147,307. after the trade he was told by the previous owner that it was consecutively serial numbered to the Emmett Dalton gun which was pictured in R.L. Wilson's book "The Peacemakers" that was on display at the Gene Autry Museum. He also learned of this revolver which was on loan
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