Model 1851 Colt "Navy" revolver and leather holster attributed as being owned by James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickock (1837-1876), notorious folk hero of the Old American West.

M1851 Colt "Navy" Revolver. Serial # 140xxx (1863 production). Mechanically functional with strong, legible cylinder scene. Leather holster has a southern attribution (see letter of provenance) with a lead finial and cut-off flap, perhaps a period alteration.

This lot is accompanied by a letter of provenance indicating the gun and holster were purchased from Edith Harmon (1913-2000), Hickock's great-niece. The signed letter of provenance (photos 4 & 5) detail Edith Harmon's account of the gun and holster's chain-of-ownership/history. Harmon was a historian in Mendota, Illinois and contributed to various articles, periodicals, and books written about Wild Bill Hickock. Harmon and her cousin, Ethel Hickock, are listed numerous times as sources in author Joseph G. Rosa's definitive history "They Called Him Wild Bill: The Life and Adventures of James Butler Hickok" (1964). The letter of provenance is signed by Hickock historian and former director of the Mendota Museum of History, Stephen R. Dancey, who attests that the gun was acquired from Harmon in 1980. While this revolver and holster have never previously been offered publicly, Wild Bill Hickok's "Strike-a-lite" bag, also owned by Edith Harmon, was sold recently (Heritage Auctions, lot #43332, $10,625, 11-12 June 2022, Americana & Political Signature Auction).


"Wild Bill" Hickok, born James Butler Hickok in 1837, was an iconic figure of the American Old West, renowned for his sharpshooting skills, law enforcement work, and colorful exploits. He gained fame as a gunfighter and scout, participating in numerous gunfights and serving as a marshal and sheriff in various frontier towns. Hickok's reputation was further enhanced through his association with figures like Buffalo Bill Cody and Calamity Jane. His distinctive long hair and mustache, along with his penchant for wearing a wide-brimmed hat and carrying a pair of Colt revolvers, contributed to his legendary image. Hickok's life was cut short when he was shot dead during a poker game in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, in 1876, cementing his status as one of the most enduring symbols of the Wild West.


[Firearms, Guns, Rifles, Longarms, Wild West, Western Expansion, Militaria, Arms, Armaments]