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Welcome to our Civil War Antiques web catalog. Please send all Checks and Money orders to : Dave Taylor 419-842-1863
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Call us @ 419-842-1863
Call us @ 419-842-1863
17-01-00...NEAR MINT SPENCER CARBINE..... Among the best I have owned. Smokin’ M1860 Spencer carbine with 1867 Springfield upgrades. Beautiful, just slightly muted, “gasoline on water” swirling case color on the receiver and lockplate. Full, deep blue barrel color (95%) and rear sight color as well. Wood a nice medium brown with sharp edges, vivid inspector and sub-inspector cartouches at left wrist also near buttplate tang. Serial number 51,136 on wrist of receiver. Full firm marking present and showing wear from burnishing at Springfield. Nice case color on the breech block as well. These were Civil War model Spencers that were sent to Springfield after the war to be re-rifled and finished. 22-inch barrel, minty bore. This is a great late Civil War to early-Indian War cavalry carbine. This is as mint an example as you are likely to find anywhere with a price that won’t keep you up at night. Super in all respects. Bright bore. Crisp. We sold an 1865 model off the page in November in identical condition and same price. I gladly paid $4000 for it last month along with a dozen other great guns I bought out of a super collection… TOP SHELF $4,500.00 sold Call us @ 419-842-1863
17-01-12... EXTREMELY RARE COLLEGE HILL STAFF AND FIELD SWORD: ... Without question one of the absolute rarest Confederate staff swords… likely less than 5 survive to this day. Pritchard, in Collecting the Confederacy, P.217, pictures what he says is the only known example. As is frequently the case with Vanity Press publications the author is in error… but the sword is indeed incredibly rare. It is likely the rarest CS production staff and field officer’s sword. College Hill Arsenal was only in business for about a year, but they made some wonderful swords. In this case they copied the design of the Horstmann US staff and field sword guard and modified it to produce their guard with a wonderful “CS” set amid the floral scrolls. The sword still exhibits other classic College Hill elements: plain pommel, large looped knuckle guard that joins the pommel prematurely,, angularly stopped fuller to the blade, etc. Overall length is 33 inches. Blade is 28+ inches. The blade etching is light but visible. It incorporates not only a CS flag showing just 12 stars, but an etched “CSA” as well. The blade is silver gray with scattered dark gray areas. There are some minor edge nicks, but not horrible. The only real defect is a chip out of the tip. This could be restored, but the sword is so darned rare I hardly see the point. The hilt shows a beautiful untouched patina to the brass. The leather grip wrap and twisted brass wire are superb and 100% original. This turned up in a pawn shop in Indiana last year and I was fortunate that the finder offered it to me. I found a European import scabbard that nicely fit the sword and matched the color and I have married it to this sword and include it here. I don’t often use the phrase “chance of a lifetime,” but I think that comes pretty close to summing up the case here. Outstanding CS sword of immeasurable rarity…. $8,950.00 sold Call us @ 419-842-1863
17-01-02...SINGLE ACTION STARR ARMY REVOLVER... These long barrel, six-shot, single action .44 caliber revolvers took the place of Starr’s shorter, double action pistols. These “single-actions” were easier to maintain and the double actions did have a tendency to throw off one’s aim with the trigger pull. This one is number 27440, has crisp marks and even smooth gun metal grey patina mixed with extremely fine surface pitting. The action is crisp and the wood grips are excellent with a visible cartouche on the lower left grip. Starr started making these in 1863 and the majority went to the army, the government buying some 25,000 of them, making it one of the key cavalry arms of the war. A good example priced below comparable examples in the hands of my friends and competitors. $1,275.00 sold Call us @ 419-842-1863
Call us @ 419-842-1863
17-01-04...WHITNEY NAVY REVOLVER... Whitney revolvers were well thought of because of their solid frame and durable construction. Whitney gave Colt a run for his money with this model. This is a nice example of the Whitney Second Model Navy, .36 caliber, six shots. The metal is smooth gun metal grey with good edges and legible markings. The barrel marking is good and the wood to metal fit is tight. Wood grips are very good with sharp edges. Barrel is secured with the characteristic Whitney wing nut. The serial number is M 9515 and shows the wedge type latch that Flayderman states came in around number 13,000 but, obviously this gun shows the feature started a bit earlier. No cylinder scene remaining. A bit of corrosion at the forward edge of the cylinder from firing, but nothing bad. A nice, solid, example of popular Civil War pistol both then and now. $1,150.00 sold Call us @ 419-842-1863
Call us @ 419-842-1863
17-01-06...REVOLUTIONARY WAR FRENCH 1763 PATTERN FLINTLOCK PISTOL / AMERICAN STOCK ?: ... French 1763 cavalry pistol. .75 caliber. The lock and barrel markings are hard to make out, but the flat lock plate and hammer date it to 1773 or earlier and I think the lock plate may read “Ste. Etienne,” one of the three large French arsenals. There is an indecipherable 2 character stamp on the left breech. These pistols were imported into the US for the Revolution, and many remained here. This one shows definite signs of seeing service here as the wood is a restock from the period of use, and utilizes a screw to retain the large double barrel band. I have a hard time believing the French would have re-stocked it with a retaining screw through the band instead of their standard spring. My bet is that it is an American restock. Another bit of evidence to support my conjecture is that an iron side escutcheon plate was used. The rest of the original French brass furniture was retained. Overall the steel is gun metal gray, with scattered dark spots and a small bit of rust near the breech and touch hole. This is original flintlock configuration and proper for Revolutionary War through 1812. $1,750.00 sold Call us @ 419-842-1863
Call us @ 419-842-1863
17-01-08... COLLINS AND COMPANY WHITNEY NAVY RIFLE SABER BAYONET: ... Nicely marked Collins saber bayonet and full scabbard for the Whitneyville “Plymouth” navy rifle. Scabbard is black leather, very solid, with brass drag and throat in place. Throat has the small fastening button. Blade is excellent, showing mostly in the bright. Serial number 7770 stamped on the upper grip next to the groove. Whitney supplied about 10,000 of his 1861 navy rifles to the US government between 1861 and 1864. The guns were serial numbered and the bayonets show up numbered to match. A very nice example of the bayonet and an equally nice scabbard. You will have to look for some time to find another this good and this reasonable. An identical specimen brought $893 at Cowan’s in 2014. And another with the belt frog brought $1,093.00 in 2008. Here you go fair and square… $550.00 sold Call us @ 419-842-1863
Call us @ 419-842-1863
17-01-10... ENLISTED NAVY BELT... This is the 1862 pattern of seaman’s belt that replaced the old brass hook and standing loop design with a Goodyear patent friction buckle. These belts are very simple and very, very uncommon. They were made in buff and in bridle leather, as this one is. The belt has good color and is flexible, with some scattered wear spots from abrasion. There is one weak spot, shown in the photo, where the belt had been left in the buckle and partially cracked where the bar crossed it. This could be concealed pretty easily, but I have left it as found and it displays great in any case. Sailors wore these to carry cutlasses, pistols, cartridge pouches, etc. as part of landing parties, but also on gun crews in expectation of either boarding an enemy or being called upon to repel boarders. A scarce regulation Civil War navy accoutrement belt. $575.00 Call us @ 419-842-1863
Call us @ 419-842-1863
17-01-13...MODEL 1863 SHARPS CARBINE... Very good Sharps New Model 1863, straight breech, iron furniture, no patchbox, serial number 93696. Some might say this is in the serial range of the 1st Mass Cavalry as numbers 93670 and 93733 were issued in 1864 to Co D 1st MVC. I say a miss is as good as a mile and I am adding no premium for the proximity of serial number. The steel is overall pleasant plum patina. Strong remnants of case color on the rear of the lockplate, hammer, and concealed portions of the breechblock and loading assembly. Just a few small spots of silver gray showing through on the barrel and rubbing to silver gray on the forward and high spots of the receiver on the right, somewhat more wear and less color on the left. Sharp markings in the metal on the lock, receiver and barrel, just a tad light on the right of the Sharps address forward of the rear sight. Vivid inspector cartouche on the offside wrist and initials under the rear of the forearm. Tight wood to metal fit. Very short hairline crack on underside of forearm from base through screw. Negligible. Sights, sling ring and bar present. Mechanically tight. A nice looking and very much better condition Sharps carbine than I usually see at shows. No need to go on about how important and popular a carbine these were- one of the essential arms in a Civil War or US martial arms collection. $2,450.00 sold Call us @ 419-842-1863
Call us @ 419-842-1863
17-01-15...IRON FRAME WALCH 10-SHOT REVOLVER WITH HOLSTER... Rare, rare, rare pistol – and with its original holster, too! Winchester actually had a hand in these pistols: his New Haven Arms Company manufactured them for John Walch and J.P. Lindsay, who both had an interest in increasing a weapon’s firepower by using superimposed loads. Walch’s 1859 patent information shows up on the top barrel flat. The idea was to use five chambers with superposed double loads, each load with a corresponding nipple and cap. In other words each cylinder had two nipples. A split hammer the fell first on the right, firing the forward load in each chamber. Only about 1,500 of the brass frame versions of this revolver were made and possibly as few as 1,000 of the iron frame (no more than 1,500 at most.) This one in VG solid condition. The metal is smooth and shows strong grey and plum patina. The frame is largely an even dull silver. Nice grips with good fit to the metal, just a hair separation on the bottom from the butt strap at rear. Sharp barrel patent markings, a tad light at the beginning of “Firearms.” The holster is probably rarer than the gun. Black leather, butt to the rear configuration. Latch tab tucks through a cross strap. The gun was actually used and worn: the narrow, stitched belt loop pulled off during use and the owner simply cut two slits in the upper holster body to feed a belt through. Flayderman notes that an entire company of the 9th Michigan Infantry went off to the Civil War carrying these as side arms. I personally own one carried by a major in Custer’s Michigan Cavalry. A very rare pistol and outstanding tribute to mid-nineteenth century American imagination and engineering ability, if not good sense. I love this pistol. $3,650.00 sold Call us @ 419-842-1863
17-01-16... LARGE PLANT ARMY REVOLVER... Much nicer than shown in these JPGs. The barrel has 60% vivid blue that the camera man didn’t capture. Very rare, iron frame version of the Third Model Plant “Army” revolver. Flayderman notes that of some 7,300 hundred third models, most were brass framed: “A few known with iron frames in the 6500 range; very rare; worth premium.” Plant used a cup-primed .42 caliber cartridge in these revolvers that loaded through the front of the cylinder in an attempt to get around the patents for bored-through cylinders controlled by Smith and Wesson. He also provided exchangeable cylinders that could fire standard percussion pistol cartridges. No government contracts are known, but they were popular sidearms. Frame shows a dull gray patina mixed with thin brown. Grips are very good, with a tight fit. Plant barrel address shows a bit soft at the edges in the strike. Merwin and Bray were the financiers and agents for these pistols. Their stamp on left barrel flat is crisper, though weak on the “M.” Serial number is 6569, in the proper range for this variant. Cylinder patent stamps are crisp. Mechanically very good. Ejection rod present. I see what seem to be two small forging flaws on the rear of the spur trigger housing and one on the bottom of the buttstrap. A very, very scarce variant of this popular pistol. $950.00 Call us @ 419-842-1863
Call us @ 419-842-1863
17-01-18... EAGLE HEAD SWORD... A handsome eagle head saber in a brass mounted steel scabbard. A very elegant, early style hilt with langets at the guard, made by and marked “A. Werth Solingen” on the spine of the blade. The blade is etched with floral designs mixed with some martial flags and trophies. Sharkskin grip and wire binding are very good. Brass two-branch guard has langets on either side and a backstrap terminating in an eagle’s head. The blade shows a silver gray mixed with bright. Good edge and point. Scabbard shows dents near the drag, otherwise a silver gray with brass carrying rings and bands. The sword is very reminiscent of some Napoleonic light cavalry sabers. I don’t have my German sword makers book at hand, but my feeling is that this dates around 1840 maybe earlier. The motifs on the blade are relatively generic, so the sword would be a perfect candidate as a commercial export and many of our military goods dealers were of German extraction and imported their goods from makers back home. A nice looking eagle head. $950.00 sold Call us @ 419-842-1863
17-01-19...INSCRIBED COLT POCKET CONNECTICUT SOLDIER WHO DIED IN 1863: ... Identified brown patina Colt pocket revolver with four inch barrel. All matching serial numbers 189268, including the wedge. Tight wood to metal fit. Pleasant, thin plum brown mixed with pewter gray on the left. On the right scattered shallow pitting on the barrel flat. Sharp barrel address and serial numbers. Pleasing patina on the frame: stronger on the left, but present on the right. Some traces of silver on the brass behind the hammer. Partial cylinder scene. Minor dings to the wood. Nicely engraved backstrap reading, “Wilbert H. Booth New Britain Ct. 1st Regt.” Booth was a New Haven resident when he enlisted in the 1st Connecticut on 4/20/61 and mustered in as a private on 4/23/61. The outfit was three-month unit and saw service guarding railroad lines, etc. and losing at least one man wounded in an ambush. They also participated in First Bull Run suffering six wounded and six missing according to CWData. Booth survived and returned home with the regiment, mustering out 7/31/61 at New Haven. Booth signed up again on 11/22/61, where his experience got him the corporal’s post in Co. H of the 12th Connecticut. The regiment was sent as part of Butler’s expedition against New Orleans and was one of the first Union regiments to enter that city. It thereafter participated in numerous expeditions and small actions at Bayou La Fourche, Bayou Teche, Pattersonville, Bisland, etc., as well as the siege of Port Hudson. During the latter campaign they suffered almost daily losses. The climate was not conducive to health among the New England troops and Booth died of disease 8/23/63, shortly after Port Hudson. To give an idea of the near constant activity of the unit, however, CWdata lists some 46 points at which they suffered some loss between the time of their enlistment and Booth’s death. This is a telling relic of the war and there is likely much more information to be developed on the soldier. $2,450.00 Call us @ 419-842-1863
Call us @ 419-842-1863
17-01-21...W.H. SMITH CARTRIDGE BOX PLATE NON-DUG... Very legible “W.H. SMITH / BROOKLYN” maker stamp in the solder fill between the standing loops. Mellow age patina to the face. A couple of minor areas of browning. One ding at upper right edge. Little oxidation to the back. Likely on a box till not long ago. Smith was a brass finisher who made large numbers of plates from 1861 at least through 1864. Cartridge box plates were ornamental, but also served the specific purpose of keeping the cartridge box flap down even if unlatched. Finding maker’s marked plates these days is tough, $325.00 sold Call us @ 419-842-1863
17-01-22...W.H. SMITH CARTRIDGE BOX PLATE NON DUG... Another cartridge box plate as above. “W.H. SMITH / BROOKLYN” maker stamp in the solder fill between the standing loops, a tad light on the initials. Two edge dings upper left. Medium patina. Minor stains and oxidation to the back and loops. Finding maker’s marked plates these days is tough. $325.00 sold Call us @ 419-842-1863
Call us @ 419-842-1863
17-01-24... SHARPS AND HANKINS CARBINE... Christian Sharps backed away from the company bearing his name in the mid-1850s, but remained interested in arms development. In 1862 he partnered with William Hankins to make four-barrel pistols and about 8,000 of these .52 Caliber breech loading carbines from 1862 to 1865, of which the lion’s share went to the military: the US Navy bought some 6,686. The leather covering on the barrel was meant to counteract the effects of salt water and sea air on metal. This one is serial number 8310 and is mechanically excellent with front and rear sights in place and full leather cover on the barrel. The leather shows lots of crackling and areas of finish loss. It is 90% present and even has some of the flap on the underside covering the front of the frame. Frame shows largely gray with mottled areas of faded case color. Screwheads are unmessed with and still show good amounts of blue. Stock rates very good with nice color, good fit to the metal and just scattered handling dings. Stamps are good and legible, though with some softness to the edges from wear to the die. Nice mellow patina to the brass butt plate. Swivel in place on the belly of the stock- the navy sling looped through this and had a cross strap/collar on the other end that buckled around the barrel. $1,250.00 sold Call us @ 419-842-1863
17-01-25...POSTWAR G.A.R. ID TAG AND CIVIL WAR PERIOD WHISTLE... A nice G.A.R. veteran’s relic consisting of a Civil War period pewter whistle mounted on a loop with an identification tag made out to the veteran with his G.A.R. and wartime service information. The tag is a typical postwar stamped oval tag with a patriotic eagle motif. The text reads on one side: “J.C. Swasick / Perrysville/ Ashland Co. / Ohio” and on the other: “Zigler Post No 512 / G.A.R./ Co. G 65th O.V.I / Oct. 28. 1861 / Dec. 14. 1864” Swasick shows up also spelled Swassick in the records, which confirm the service dates on the tag, adding the note that he was 25 years old when he signed up and was discharged in Nashville. The regiment served in the Army of the Ohio, Army of the Cumberland, and then the combined Department and Army of Ohio and Cumberland, spending most of its service in the 14th, 21st, and 4th Army Corps. CWData lists 33 points at which they saw action and suffered casualties, including Stones River, Chickamauga, Resaca, Kennesaw, Spring Hill, Franklin and Nashville. They lost 8 officers and 114 men killed or mortally wounded during their service. The whistle obviously had some use in the veteran’s association. Whether it had some wartime memories for Swasick or his comrades is a story yet to be told. A neat and very personal memento. rpet $265.00 sold Call us @ 419-842-1863
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