"COLT 1855 ROOT PERCUSSION REVOLVER. SN 12707. Cal. 28. Blue finish with 3-1/2" oct bbl, 2-line Hartford address with pointing hand motif & serifs. It has 5-shot cylinder with cabin & Indian fight scene and a deluxe 1-pc walnut grip. Back strap is inscribed in period script "G. Argenti / From the Inventor Col. Colt". Accompanied by an orig walnut casing with brown velvet lining compartmented in bottom for the revolver, a sgl sided eagle flask, an L-shaped turn screw, a wooden handle turn screw, a 2-cavity Colt's Patent mold with sprue cutter, an Eley cap tin and a key. Accompanied by copy of an article in the Spring 1996 The Rampant Colt titled "Sculpture: Colt's Legacy in Art" by William Hosley. The article deals with a gentleman named James Goodwin Batterson who was apparently a close friend of Mr. & Mrs. Sam Colt and was the head of New England Granite Works. Mr. Batterson was also apparently very active in promoting the arts in the Hartford area and traveled to Italy to retain sculptors for his work. Mr. Argenti was one of these sculptors. His work is still observed around Hartford and at Armsmear, Colt's home. It seems likely that Mr. Argenti was the sculptor of the Colt monument which was erected in 1855 and leads one to speculate that this early Root revolver was a presentation as a reward for a job well done. Also accompanying is a copy of pp. 2 & 3 of the Pennsylvania Antique Gun Collectors Association Monthly Bugle wherein Mr. Henry A. Truslow clarifies a previous misrepresentation of Mr. Argenti's association with Colt. This revolver is pictured as Item #93 on p. 151 of the book Samuel Colt Presents, Wadsworth Atheneum and was loaned by Mr. John S. DuMont. CONDITION: About fine. Revolver retains about 65-70% orig blue, thin on bbl, strong on frame with a cleaned back strap. Cylinder is a gray patina and retains 70-75% cabin & Indian fight scene. Grip is sound with minor nicks & scratches and retains 75-80% orig varnish. Hammer will not hold in safety notch, otherwise mechanics are fine. Strong bore with good shine & scattered pitting. Case is very fine with a repaired rear corner in lid with usual very light storage nicks & scratches on lid. Interior is lightly faded with light soil in bottom with all partitions intact. Flask is extremely fine retaining about 90% orig finish. Mold retains 60-70% orig finish with several series of small nicks & hammer marks. Cap tin is fine. 4-31872 JR198 (20,000-30,000)"
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