Historic Firearms and Early Militaria
Don Johnson | October 25th, 2012
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Krupp 5CM 50 mm mountain howitzer, 29½" rifled barrel with front sight, metal carriage with iron-banded and wood-spoke wheels, accompanied by tools, trail handle, 24 brass shell casings in a Krupp box, 30-plus projectiles, and a mold for projectiles, $34,500.
Cased Webley-Fosbery target revolver, .455 Eley caliber, 7½" barrel, marked "Webley-Fosbery" and "P. Webley And Son London & Birmingham," checkered wood grips, safety missing (likely removed by a left-handed shooter, for whom this would be in the way), English leather trunk-style case with embossed initials "C.A.C.," $23,000.
Colt Aircrewman AF-1 revolver, .38 Special caliber, 2" barrel, engraved "Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg," checkered wood grips with silver Air Force buttons, nearly new condition, $28,750. |
Cowan's Auctions, Cincinnati, Ohio
by Don Johnson
Photos courtesy Cowan's
A Krupp 50 mm mountain howitzer made the most noise during Cowan's auction of historic firearms and early militaria on October 25 and 26, 2012, in Cincinnati, Ohio, selling for $34,500 (including buyer's premium). The artillery piece, which had a metal carriage and iron-banded wheels with wooden spokes, was among approximately 650 lots featured in the printed catalog. In total, the auction's 1158 lots grossed more than $1.4 million.
"The sale went very well," said Jack Lewis, Cowan's director of firearms. "There were a couple of things I would like to have seen sold. I don't know if it was too close to the election or if big players put money into other auctions and backed off."
The most notable of the no-sales was a Kentucky flintlock rifle by John Armstrong, estimated at $150,000/200,000. The lack of interest, however, wasn't due to its condition. The catalog noted, "This is truly a great example of the trimness and the quality of the workmanship John Armstrong executed when he made his rifles. His rifles stand out as among the 'greats' of the 'Golden Age' of gunsmiths."
For the most part, quality determined bidding. "To get a good price today, on a scale of one to ten, it's got to be a ten," said Lewis. "Average stuff that you see at gun shows, it's going to bring average prices."
Provenance doesn't hurt either. The best example was a .38 Special revolver, a no-nothing of a handgun in itself. Nevertheless, the Colt Aircrewman AF-1, an Air Force version of the weapon, sold for $28,750 because of its connection to General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, who had a number of important assignments in World War II, was the first director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and finished his career as the chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force during the Berlin Airlift and the Korean War. The revolver was engraved with Vandenberg's name.
"The General Vandenberg gun was probably a world record for a Colt Agent. [The price] is big money for a Colt Detective Special," said Lewis.
Other handguns in the auction included a cased Webley-Fosbery .455-caliber target revolver with a 7½" barrel. It came in a fitted English trunk-style case embossed with the initials "C.A.C." and sold for $23,000. Documentation with the handgun established the chain of ownership back to 1945, while other paperwork indicated that it was originally purchased in 1913 by the Royal Military Academy of Woolwich, England.
A prototype Searle .32-caliber semiautomatic pistol with a 3" barrel and no serial number or markings brought $18,400. Designed by Elbert Hamilton Searle, the handgun came with 15 mechanical drawings from 1916 and 1917, likely the original draft drawings, plus three related letters granting patents for breech-loading firearms, a firing mechanism, and a reloading mechanism for magazine-firearms.
Among the earlier rarities was a Spanish Pedreynal miquelet pistol dating to 1625-50, which sold for $29,900. Measuring 28" long overall, it had a tapered octagonal barrel and a wooden stock sheathed in pierced steel. A form unique to the Ripoll area of Spain, the Pedreynal is first mentioned in Don
Quixote, first published in 1605. This pistol was described as "quite likely the only example in private hands" and the only one known to be offered at public sale.
One soft spot in the auction was the selection of powder horns; seven of the ten lots offered were passed during the sale. Several, however, were sold afterward, including one by John Tansel, engraved "E. Pluribus Unum" in a banner over an eagle, with engraved dogs, deer, a lion, and a cannon, and dated April 6, 1819. It brought $11,500.
The auction showed the variety of the firearms and militaria market, offering items as diverse as a 37½" long Chinese or Japanese bronze cannon in a naval motif ($2350); Civil War headgear, including a Pattern 1858 enlisted man's artillery hat ($3335); and a Model 1928 Thompson submachine gun ($12,044).
For more information, contact Cowan's at (513) 871-1670; Web site (www.cowans.com).
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The catalog called this longarm, "A virtually untouched, in-the-black, colonial musket fabricated under contract with British Ordnance during the reign of William III (1689-1702)." |
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French model 1774 Charleville musket, .69 caliber, 55" long, the barrel reduced from approximately 44" to 39½", some period replacements, $16,100. |
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The catalog noted, "A one hundred-man mounted squadron (actually consisted of over 150 hand-picked guards), was formed in 1854 to escort the Emperor, nephew of Napoleon the Great, and disbanded in 1870." |
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Prototype Searle semiautomatic pistol, .32 caliber, 3" barrel, no serial number, no markings, finished in the white with black grips, accompanied by 15 mechanical drawings and three letters granting patents, $18,400.
Spanish Pedreynal miquelet pistol, 1625-50, tapered octagonal barrel, wooden stock sheathed in pierced steel, 28" long overall, untouched patina, no restorations, $29,900.
William III period British flintlock musket, 1690-1710, octagonal-to-round barrel with British proofs, 45 5/8" long, forestock fragile at a crack approximately 18" from the muzzle, $18,400.
Initially passed, the powder horn by John Tansel, engraved "E. Pluribus Unum" in a banner over an eagle, with red stripes to the shield at the eagle's breast, plus engraved dogs, deer, a lion, and a cannon, dated April 6, 1819, 17¼" long, untouched patina and in excellent condition, was sold after the auction for $11,500.
French Cent Garde helmet, Model 1865, silvered copper body in fire-gilded metal, crested comb with Medusa's head at front, front plate with crown and initial monogram of Napoleon III, lobster-tail rear visor, lion-head bosses, feathers and horsehair, very good condition, $8913.
Civil War presentation foot officer's sword, 32" blade having etched panels of arms, drums, cannons, "U.S.," and floral designs with gilt in the etching, marked "Clauberg" in an oval, silver spiral grip, gilded hilt with deeply chased designs, pommel with red jewels and a black stone, nickel silver-plated scabbard with a band inscribed "Presented to/ Capt. C.W. Boyd/ Co. B 34th Reg. O.V.M.I./ by his Company," $4888.Originally published in the January 2013 issue of Maine Antique Digest. © 2012 Maine Antique Digest
