Well, here is one that got away...
About a year ago, a forum member posted about an original rifle, an actual attic find (literally!), that was marked
S. HAWKEN ST. LOUIS. We had a lively discussion that rambled on for nine pages:
Real Hawken or Not? Some forum members thought the rifle was genuine, others didn't. One particularly cool factor was that the owner found a cache of the rifle's original accessories along with it, including a powder horn and measure, mould and ladle, a little container with balls and patches, and a blowing horn. It was really a nice outfit.
The member who posted was a good fellow. He evidently got the rifle examined by an expert, and it was determined to be genuine. I was browsing around on the Buffalo Arms Company (BACO) website a few days ago and found that the rifle and accoutrements we had discussed on this forum had sold through them for $25K. While the rifle has sold, the photos and description are still up on the website for viewing. I have no doubt that it is the same rifle:
Original Hawken Muzzleloader
While this .40 caliber rifle was one of the "lightweight" Hawkens and not one of the heavy, big-bore mountain rifles, and it looked to me as if it had been re-breeched, it was an original Hawken in very good shape overall. I guess it just shows that they are out there, they are still changing hands, and we can't rule out the possibility of another previously unknown Hawken coming to light.
I would agree with
@William Sublette , in post #46. Good luck to the OP, and I hope he will keep us informed.
Notchy Bob