Brigham Young Revolver

 

 
 
 
IMPORTANCE



As visitors to our website are aware, we have been collecting and selling important historical artifacts for many years.

My interest in these artifacts stemmed from the schools I attended, books and magazines I bought or borrowed from the library, as well as television and film.
 
As my tastes matured, I was drawn to those pieces that were not only interesting in terms of their beauty, architecture or origin, but more significantly those with historical content. I have owned and collected arms and artifacts from the most interesting of times in our nation’s history, items owned, used or associated with famous soldiers, pioneers and politicians who figured prominently in America’s past from Colonial times to the Western Expansion and beyond.
 
We have been privileged to handle many unique pieces. We are pleased to now have one that surpasses all others, the finest and rarest of all. One I can only classify as iconic, and as being an American National Treasure. This is a work of art in firearm form that epitomizes all that is great about our country, as I believe it distinguishes itself in terms of its relation to our Constitution and Bill of Rights.
 
HISTORY

Most Americans are perfectly aware that the Second Amendment was conceived by the framers to provide Americans the means to not only protect one’s self and loved ones, but to secure all other individual rights. No man knew the truth of this more than Brigham Young, the “American Moses” and nineteenth century leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, better known as the Mormons.
 
The Colt factory engraved and factory inscribed presentation revolver we offer here was owned and carried by Brigham Young during his years in Utah, and presented to him by H. E. Dimick & Company, the largest firearms dealer in St. Louis, Missouri before, during and after the tumultuous Mormon Exodus from Illinois to Utah. It is this very gun he received as a gift, a gun that he personally loaded, cleaned, and kept at the ready.
 
It is the gun that he carried as was his Constitutional right, to protect himself and his family, and to defend from harm anyone he saw fit. This gun was presented to Young while Governor of the Utah Territory as the inscription so states, and comes to us after 175 years of documented direct descent through the Young family. The provenance is unquestionable and we guarantee that this was Governor Young’s personal Colt revolver. 
 
One need only read a brief history of the Mormons to understand its signal importance.

CONDITION

The personal Revolver of Brigham Young was factory Engraved by the greatest of 19th Century firearms engravers, Gustav Young, and this gun is consecutive to one listed on G.Y.’s workshop sheet dated in September of 1854.
 
The gun is in excellent to near mint condition retaining nearly all of its original and dense mirror blue finish on the barrel and cylinder, as well as most of its original case-colors. It even shows most of its original blue in its bore and chambers. The grips are excellent and though the accessories show use, they are in very fine condition.
 
The gun is embellished in Young’s classic pattern style of scroll motifs with punch-dot background on the barrel, frame, back-strap and trigger-guard. The hammer is adorned with a fierce wolf head on each side that flows to scrolls and its spur is deluxe checkered. The left side of the barrel lug and frame are delicately engraved with beautiful wolf or dog head motif.
 
The barrel is script engraved "Sam L Colt". The gun remains in its original, deluxe rosewood casing that is also in excellent condition with a single repair to one partition in the upper right corner. The gun is inscribed on its back-strap, "Presented to Gov. Young by H. E. Dimick and Co." and the plaque on the case lid is inscribed, "Gov. Young / G.S.L.C. / Utah, Ter.". It would be difficult to improve on the condition of this gun.
 
PROVENANCE

The revolver has come to us from the direct descendents of Brigham Young with an unimpeachable notarized letter of provenance, as well as an original display card as written by Feramorz S. Young (middle initial subsequently changed from "S." to "L." by Fera Lockhead Young, the current owners father). The revolver has never been out of the family and has never been offered for sale until this listing.
 
VALUE

The world record for a Colt Pocket Revolver was set at a Sotheby’s auction 3 years ago. It was a gold inlayed, 4” barrel revolver such as this, with more scroll coverage, also by (Gustav Young) and gold inlays of animals and border. It had no history associated with it other than it was consecutively numbered to a gun given by Colt to Czar Nicholas. It realized a total of $1,142,500.00 at auction.
 
Seven gold Mormon coins of varying denomination sold at Heritage Auctions in 2014. They had no history associated with them other than they were rare Mormon coins. They realized a total of $1,800,000.00.

I believe this revolver to be more important than these recently sold artifacts. This weapon is an iconic piece that may never be duplicated. Again, a national treasure.

It’s value lies in the hand that held it, the hand of Brigham Young.