Morphy’s summer firearms sale, held on June 9 and 10, surpassed all prior company gun auctions to date. This 1,100-plus lot event was highlighted by the finest collection of Bowie knives ever assembled. All prices noted include Morphy’s 23 percent buyer’s premium.
Friday’s offering was a solid assortment of sporting and target guns that exceeded expectations. But the real excitement came on Saturday. Bidders flew in from all over the country, and the phone lines reached capacity. When the bidding started, it was a virtual frenzy. When the smoke cleared, it was evident that the Bowie knife market was back, and in a big way. Leading the pack was a San Antonio, Texas, made Samuel Bell ivory and silver dress knife that brought $113,775, while a second Samuel Bell came in at $61,500. A silver mounted Bowie made $107,625. A Philadelphia-made Shively, one of eight in the auction, reached $79,950. This was just the tip of the iceberg as 15 more Bowies sold in the $25,830 to $55,300 range.
The top-selling lot in the auction was an 1860 Henry rifle that belonged to Wells Fargo detective James Hume, engraved with his name and the date 1864. He is best known as the man that brought in Black Bart, the gentleman bandit. It sold for an astounding $141,450. In this same vein, an oversized cabinet photograph of Bart sold for $25,830.
Unusual items performed equally well. A solid gold 1880s San Jose Marshall Badge came to a halt at $24,650. A prisoner carved folk art carved pick realized $18,450. A Napoleon-era gold mounted sword brought a noble price of $30,750. Riding the shirt tails of the Bowie knife excitement, a bond signed by both of the Bowie brothers surprised the audience at $30,750. An unusual Nepalese Bira carriage-mounted machine gun brought $15,375. An iconic English Howdah double barrel pistol, the type used by British officers of the 19th century to hunt tigers in India from atop an elephant, sold for $15,990. A very unusual antique Asian bronze cannon blasted to $19,680.
A few of the finest known examples of pre-Civil War weapons saw heated competition amongst bidders. Rezin Bowie’s personal silver-mounted flintlock rifle went for $92,250. A pair of Searles weapon lots flew past estimates; a silver and gold mounted derringer sold for $62,730, while a similarly decorated set of Searle’s duelers made $30,135. Top Winchester honors went to a spectacular condition Model 1876 deluxe rifle with a 30-inch extra heavy barrel, which realized $27,675. A half octagon full mag Model 1886 “Big Fifty” slammed at $21,525, and an early cased Volcanic hit it home at $19,680.
The market for international and domestic military weapons was also quite strong. A presentation Von Luckner Broomhandle Mauser sold for $18,450, a near mint 1940 Krieghoff Luger fell at $8,610, a high condition Stoeger marked Luger brought $9,225, while the mythical Black Widow Luger crept to $8,610. A near perfect 1911 from 1917 set a record price of $8,610. This example proved that high condition will always reach new heights. A WWII Winchester model 1912 trench gun cut through the bidding until it sold for $7,995. And a 1911 Colt Service Model Ace .22 pistol brought $6,765.
Other Colt highlights included a boxed Colt SAA pre-war in 44 Special that lettered with an extra 44-40 cylinder and three sets of grips, which made $17,220. Rounding out the Colt lineup were two ever-popular Python revolvers. The first was a special-order factory nickel 6-inch boxed example in near-mint condition, which slammed the boards at $12,300. The second was a consecutively numbered boxed set of 6-inch blue Pythons shipped in 1957, which found their new home at $15,990.
It was an exciting and fantastic two days, but it is on to the next auction. Morphy’s already has over 600 lots in house for a November sale.
For further information, call 717-335-3435 or visit www.MorphyAuctions.com.