Rare and Historic Japanese Marked Henry Model 1860 Repeating Lever Action Rifle Belonging to Swiss Importer James Favre-Brandt Together with Letter from George Madis and Other Supporting Documentation

Serial no. 8909, .44 caliber, 24-inch barrel with German silver front sight and ladder-type rear sight. Top of barrel and breech marked: Favre-Brandt. Stamped in front of breech: 8909. Brass frame with right side stamped with two sets of Japanese characters that translate to the following: "Niigata Prefecture" [a Japanese province or State in West Central Honshu Island]; "Number 2" [armory or rack number]; "Meiji Era Year 17"[1884]. The second set reading: "Niigata Prefecture", "Number 1860", Meiji Era 17 [1886]. Walnut stock with distinctive bump adjacent the rear sling mount. Sold together with extensive archive on the history of the rifle.

Condition: Very good. Barrel with grey-brown age patina with scattered light pitting present. Frame and butt plate with light age patina. Hammer with minor pitting and patina. Wood excellent for this model with a few minor marks and blemishes.

Note: The "Favre-Brandt" barrel and breech markings refer to James Favre-Brandt, a 22-year old Swiss citizen that went to Japan as an attaché with the Swiss mission of 1863 that tried to established trade relations with that country. A photo copy print of that mission, originally published in the period publication "La Japon Illustre" is included, Favre-Brandt is depicted on the extreme right. A treaty was signed in 1864. Favre-Brandt never returned home and he is buried in Yokohama. He became a major importer of firearms and military supplies. He is known to have sold 1500 French rifles to the Samurai warlords. After the wars, he became close to the highest officials in the new imperial government and possibly knew the Emperor himself.
In his book "The Historic Henry Rifle", author Wiley Sword reports that this exact rifle, serial no. 8909, was sold to the Emperor by someone named Paul Barnett. A Barnett connection hasn't been further established but it is possible that it was either a gift or a sale to the Emperor by Favre-Brandt or Barnett. Presenting expensive gifts to foreign leaders and dignitaries in exchange for favors was standard operating procedure by foreign agents. In a letter from Winchester author and expert George Madis, states this rifle "...deserves a most prominent place in any collection or museum." All of the above taken into account, Henry serial number 8909 is certainly an important artifact of Japanese/European/American history. It would be difficult to find a better symbol of American ingenuity, Swiss enterprise and Japanese emergence into the modern world.

Estimate: $30000 - $50000