DOCUMENTED & INSCRIBED RAPHAEL SEMMES PRESENTED COLT FLUTED ARMY REVOLVER

DOCUMENTED & INSCRIBED RAPHAEL SEMMES PRESENTED COLT FLUTED ARMY REVOLVER

01-25602
Cal. 44
S# 3774

This revolver was part of a pair with S# 3770 which is housed in the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, VA. It was donated prior to the turn of the century by Admiral Raphael Semmes according to museum accession ledger which states “Revolver used by Admiral Raphael Semmes during the Civil War. Presented by him to Commissioner James M. Mason in London in May of 1865”. Colt factory letter shows S#s 3770 & 3774 shipped to Williams, Peters Company [Peter Williams], Richmond, VA, April 15, 1861, 3 days after the firing on Ft. Sumter. Revolver is in standard configuration of other model 1860 fluted army revolvers, blue & color case hardened with 7.5″ round barrel, nickel silver blade front sight and 1-line “New-York U.S. America” address. Left side of frame has a small
“COLTS PATENT”. Frame is 4-screw type cut for shoulder stock with flat head hammer screw. The brass trigger guard and blued steel back strap contain a 1-pc walnut grip. Single letter inspector marks are observed on some parts. Cylinder is fluted with six chambers and has 1-line patent in one flute. Revolver was inscribed “Confederate States Ship Sumter / 1861” inside gripframe & “J.M. Mason London 1865” on trigger bow. Inscription has been obliterated with file cutting both vertically and horizontally. There is enough partial text remaining to match inscription on SN 3770 it’s mate which resides in the collection of the American Civil War Museum in Richmond and is in pristine condition. The inscription on S# 3774 has been deliberately removed, but enough is there that there is no doubt it has the identical inscription and was one of a pair. The reason for the inscription being removed is unknown, but it is unquestionably one of the last Colts shipped to the South, carried by Confederate Admiral Raphael Semmes, and presented to Confederate commissioner James Mason at war’s end. There is not another Colt revolver with better Confederate history & provenance from 1861 to 1865 in private hands. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: file of research & correspondence, 2024 appraisal report of authenticity. 

PROVENANCE: Shipped by Colt to Williams, Peters company [Peter Williams] April 15, 1861; “Confederate States Ship Sumter 1861” and so engraved; J. M. Mason was given pistol (as a pair) in London 1865 and so engraved ; John Lignnau, Lott, TX collection (TGCA top collector of Confederate revolvers, etc); Damon Mills, Montgomery, AL dealer bought Lingnau Estate Arms collection; Thomas “Jim” Maconkey, Landrum, SC (1944-2018) 1997; William L. Beard (1941-2024) received revolver from widow Gail Maconkey 2018-2019. 

STATUS: ANTIQUE