"TEARS OF GETTYSBURG" 1861 Navy

[hawkeye1755]

Magnificent Historical Deluxe Rosewood Cased Gustave Young "Masterpiece" Engraved "TEARS OF GETTYSBURG" Model 1861 Colt Navy Percussion Revolver - Serial no. 14369, 36 cal., 7-1/2 inch bbl., blue finish, deluxe checkered ivory grips. Gustave Young profusely engraved, extra-deluxe, cased Colt Model 1861 Navy Revolver. The revolver is engraved with the intricate German scroll design that characterized Gustave Young's work. Contained within the intricate scroll pattern are no less than eleven individual stylized animal heads. This special revolver features every animal depicted as crying. Each engraved figure is shedding a tear including the signature wolves on the hammer. The animals are as follows: an eagle just above the loading lever on both sides of the barrel, a wolf on either side of the wedge, a fox just behind the "COLT'S PATENT" markings on the left side of the frame, an eagle on the opposite side of the frame, a bear on the left side of the frame below the hammer screw, a hound in the same position on the opposite side of the frame, a hound on the left upper receiver and a wolf on either side of the hammer. The naval combat scene on the cylinder is fully hand engraved. In addition, the rear of the cylinder is fully hand engraved with the same scroll pattern found on the rest of the revolver (this is known on only a very few revolvers). The special, extra-fancy, intricate, scroll engraving extends to the end of the muzzle, the barrel bolster, loading lever, trigger guard, butt and backstrap. The loading lever is further hand engraved in a cross hatched pattern on the muzzle end (another rare feature). This is found on only very few exceptional Colts and is indicative of an exhibition grade firearm. The ivory grips are decorated with a bell-shaped checkered pattern and hand checkered butt panels. All the Colt markings on the barrel, frame and cylinder are hand engraved. The curve of the hammer is engraved with eleven small dots indicating the ultra high level special engraving. The revolver is finished in blue with case-hardened frame and silver-plated brass grip straps. The cylinder is hand engraved also showing it is a very special piece. The case is constructed of highly figured rosewood, bound in brass and lined with scarlet velvet. Included in the casing are a Navy pattern powder flask, "Colt's Patent" bullet mold, nipple wrench, a tin of 250 Eley Bros' Caps for Belt and Pocket Pistols, two sealed packets of Hazard's Combustible Cartridges for "Revolving Belt Pistol" and a number of loose cast balls and conical bullets. Gustav Young was Colt's primary engraver from 1852 until 1869. This revolver is one of the finest examples of work by the engraver considered to the finest practitioners of the art. The name the "Tears Of Gettysburg" was given after careful research. The serial number and the serial number of other known engraved guns of the time dated the engraving work in July/August of 1863. Careful research of Gustave Young and his family history show no tragedy at this time other than the national tragedy of Gettysburg. This epic battle July 1 ”“ 3 1863 was thought of being a tragedy on both sides for the massive loss of life. As was the practice of the times to paint tears on daguerreotypes and carte vista's of funeral or burial photographs Gustave Young “painted” his own tears in his way. This extraordinary example of the finest engraving of its time show the true anguish of a nation "THE TEARS OF GETTYSBURG" in carved steel. This revolver is pictured and extensively described on page 177 of "THE COLT ENGRAVING BOOK, VOLUME ONE" and in "COLT ENGRAVING" page 116 both by R.L. Wilson.

Estimated Price: $375,000 - $650,000
:hatsoff:

 

[cougarmagnum]

MAGNIFICENT!!!!

 

[Claude Mathis]

WOW! :shocked2:

 

[Blizzard of '93]

thanks for one of the best posts I've seen on the Forum, that revolver should be pictured in every U.S. History schoolbook that has any War Between the States information. and the accompanying description as well :hatsoff:

 

Whats better than WOW?!!!!

 

[Bob Riegl]

:v Quite obviously a superb gun and the photography is also quite exhilarating. May I ask--if you know anything of the photographer----these pictures would require one who is quite intimate with the gun. I have never seen the entire "Naval Scene"photographed in this fashion, though it is reproduced beautifully on my Uberti repro (though one should never mention this in the face of this fantastic original.) It is a very humbling experience to be treated to this view. In museums it is almost impossible to get that close and photography ist Verboten. Thank you for posting these pictures. :thumbsup:

 

[hawkeye1755]

:v May I ask--if you know anything of the photographer----these pictures would require one who is quite intimate with the gun.

Sorry, i didn't know anything about the photographer. But the Revolver was(will) be sold at the Rock Island Auction.Perhaps they made the pics.


:hatsoff:

 

[hawkeye1755]

:shocked2: It is an Model 1861 Colt Navy Percussion and i wrote Army 1860. :cursing:
:redface: :redface: :redface: :redface:
Claude, please can you change that.
:hatsoff:

 

[oldwolf]

Beautiful!! :applause:

 

[TDW]

Undertaker and all,
This beautiful pistol was at the Colt Collectors Show in Reno this year. It was my honor to be able to inspect this pistol "up close and personal". As fine as the photography is, it cannot do justice to actually seeing it in person. The sales person at RIA commented that the undocumented rumor associated with the "tears" was, that Young was something of a pacifist, and the war weighed heavily on him. The incredible human carnage of the battle at Gettysburg had completely unsettled him. When this pistol was commissioned, a month or so after the battle, this was his artistic response. A beautiful piece of artwork, I think, without parallel.
On a lighter note it was also my honor to hold two Colt Walkers at the CCA show. Each with the correct unit markings, but with subtle differences overall. The fun in this was, that both pistols had the exact same serial number :shocked2: ......... You should have heard the creative thinking from the two owners, trying to explain THAT anomaly. There was a lot of "now....I KNOW my documentation is good" :hmm: A prominent Colt percussion expert at the show suggested that perhaps BOTH were forgeries....a comment which I don't believe was fully appreciated by the owners! He then went back to his table smiling at the "fuel" he had thrown on the fire :grin:. I would recommend going to a CCA show, to anyone, as it was far from your average gun show.
TomW

 

[prowler]

OUTSTANDING! :thumbsup: