"COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER. SN 47135. Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). Spectacular & very rare, possibly the only Eugene Young engraved single action with gold and nickel known. A previous owners research of Colt records disclosed that this single action revolver was the very first to have a gold cylinder with nickel plated frame. It is believed that J.P. Lower and Colt collaborated on this design to promote the new Single Action Army revolver. This combination became a favorite for high art Colts. This fabulous revolver has 7-1/2" bbl, standard front sight, 1-line address on top and a fine clear etched panel on left side. It has a tiny "44" on bottom of bbl just above base pin and the last four digits of the serial number under the ejector rod housing. The ejector rod housing is third type with a bull's eye ejector rod head. The base pin is the solid type without dimples in the ends. Frame has 3-line patent dates and it is fitted with a rare factory 1-pc ebony grip. Frame, bbl, cylinder, trigger guard & back strap and both sides of hammer are wonderfully engraved in about "A" coverage, open foliate arabesque patterns with 30-40% coverage. Back edge of cylinder has a circle & dot border and it has the chip & dot border around the etched panel which may be a later addition. The style of this engraving is unlike any of the known master engravers at Colt, although it has stylistic similarities to some of the engraving by Oscar & Eugene Young at Smith & Wesson. Very few Eugene Young engraved pieces are known and when encountered are probably not recognized for their simple beauty. This revolver has full nickel finish with gold washed cylinder, hammer, grip frame, ejector rod housing & ejector rod head. The factory furnished smooth ebony grip makes for a very striking look. Accompanied by a Colt factory letter identifying this revolver as caliber 44-40, bbl length not listed with nickel/gold finish, ebony stocks, factory engraved and shipped to J.P. Lower, Denver, Colorado, April 10, 1878, in a shipment of two same type revolvers. Also accompanying is a copy of an appraisal by W.R. Powell of Roanoke, Texas wherein he authenticates this revolver. Additionally accompanying is an information letter from a previous owner wherein he states that it is the only factory gold single action revolver shipped with ebony grip and that it is the only factory ordered gold single action revolver ever engraved by Eugene Young (subsequently found to have engraved two). In an article regarding gold & engraved Colt Single Actions on pp. 45-48 of the Winter 2007 issue of The Rampant Colt magazine, Corky Ullom writes that there were 135 factory gold washed single actions of which eighty-two were gold & nickel, twenty were in 44-40 caliber, thirty-seven were in 7-1/2" bbls and two were engraved by Eugene Young. When one considers that there were 357,859 Colt single action revolvers manufactured from 1873 to WWII, those numbers cited above are indeed minuscule, making this one of the most rare Colt single action Army revolvers extant. Additionally accompanied by an extremely rare orig Young Brothers business card with their address in Springfield, Mass. advertising "General Engravers, Stamp Cutters & Die Sinkers". CONDITION: Very fine to extremely fine, all matching including bbl, cylinder & grip. Revolver retains virtually all of its fine factory nickel finish with generous amounts of its orig gold wash, somewhat thinned on ejector rod housing outside radius and on the high points of cylinder. The grip frame retains gold wash in sheltered areas, strong around trigger guard with some slight freckling on front strap. The bbl appears to have been polished as Mr. Powell mentions in his letter that the nickel was frosty and now has a high gloss finish. It appears that during this polishing process the edges of the etched panel may have been affected and therefore the border decorations applied. One could argue, however, that Mr. Young simply repolished the revolver after he had engraved it. Mr. Powell may have been referring to the "frosting" on the front strap of the grip frame. Regardless of whether this revolver was polished by Mr. Young or a subsequent owner, this is one of the most rare of all Colt single action revolvers. Grip has a hairline on the right side from shrinkage and one scratch in the finish on left side with minor sharp edge wear and retains most of its orig smooth factory finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore with one spot of pitting near muzzle and another near forcing cone. Business card is slightly yellowed with a brown corner but completely intact. This is truly one of the most rare of all single action revolvers. 4-32963 JR213 (150,000-300,000)"
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