UPDATE: This revolver has previously appeared at auction (Christie’s 2001 and RR Auction 2011), but both sales relied on an outdated Colt Archive letter referencing an unengraved revolver bearing the same serial number. The newly issued Colt Archive letter definitively attributes this factory-engraved and inscribed revolver—with Hays’s portrait—to the Hays presentation. Earlier sales did not reflect this documentation, and previous price results are therefore not indicative of this revolver’s now-established historical importance.
This superb Colt Fourth Model 1851 Navy Revolver ranks among the most historically significant presentation arms to survive the Civil War era. Factory-engraved by master artisan Gustave Young, the revolver features his unmistakable scrollwork, intricate flourishes, and Young’s signature wolf’s head on both sides of the hammer. The backstrap is inscribed: “To John C. Hays, with Compliments of Col. Colt” The gun is accompanied by a period California-style “Slim Jim” dark brown leather holster—further linking this firearm to the frontier where Hays earned his fame.
What elevates this revolver above other Colt factory presentations is the rare engraved portrait of John C. Hays on the left barrel lug. The likeness strongly resembles Hays as he appeared in an 1858 Mathew Brady photograph, taken around the time of a February 7, 1858 dinner in Washington, D.C. Samuel Colt hosted in honor of Secretary of War John B. Floyd. Hays was one of seven Mexican War veterans seated at Colt’s table. It is the first and only time we know the two met.
Until Brady’s photos circulated, only those who had seen Hays in person knew what he looked like. He was a familiar name but an unfamiliar face to most—including Colt.
The engraving of Hays’s likeness suggests deliberate personalization, rare even among factory presentations. A notable parallel is the Colt Navy (#6471) presented by Samuel Colt to Ben McCulloch, also engraved with McCulloch’s portrait on the left panel. Colt clearly saw both men as foundational to his legacy—figures whose reputations had helped make the Colt revolver a symbol of the American frontier.
A Colt Archive letter confirms this revolver, as configured and engraved, was shipped on February 11, 1861, to Colt’s New York office, which handled shipments to California—where Hays resided. The letter also notes that another Colt Navy bearing the same serial number (unengraved) was shipped earlier, on January 21, 1861, to P.A. Peale & Company in Vicksburg, Virginia. Duplicate serial numbers were not unusual for factory-engraved and unengraved arms, particularly in the serial number range of this Navy.
Previous auctions of this gun (Christie’s 2001 and RR Auction 2011) relied on an earlier archive letter that referenced only the unengraved Peale revolver. As a result, those sales did not reflect a proper provenance. The new letter included with this lot is the proper and definitive record for this engraved Colt-Hays presentation.
The steel exhibits a rich, even gray patina. Approximately 60% of the original silver plating remains on the brass gripstraps. The one-piece ivory grip is beautifully aged, showing minor handling wear and a mellow tone consistent with its age and authenticity. The bore is very good, and the revolver functions properly.
While owned by Gaines de Graffenreid, the revolver was displayed at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame in Waco. In 1979, it was also exhibited as part of the Texas Gun Collectors Association’s "Arms in Texas History" display at the NRA Convention in San Antonio. The late Bobby Vance, who coordinated gun acquisitions for the event, personally vetted the guns displayed. Nameplates for the exhibit were provided by Frank Graves.
Provenance & Display History:
John C. Hays and descendants (from 1861)
Kjel Stordalen, Beaumont (1969)
Gaines de Graffenreid, Waco (1970)
Robert Davis, Waco (2003)
Robert Swartz, San Antonio (2011)
Expert Analysis:
Included with the lot are letters and professional opinions from leading authorities in Colt history and engraving:
Barry Lee Hands (then-president, Firearms Engravers Guild of America)
C. Roger Bleile
Herbert G. Houze
R.L. Wilson
Barry Lee Hands identified the inscription font as typical of the 19th century, standardized by Platt Rogers Spencer, and “obviously period correct to the eye of an engraver.” He compared it favorably with other Colt presentation revolvers, including those gifted to Capt. J.C. Comstock (Hartford Light Guard) and Hon. Horace Greeley (Feb. 5, 1863). Hands concluded: “This piece shows all the proper style, layout, and execution of a factory-engraved and inscribed Colt. In my considered opinion, this example is a marvelous piece of American firearms and military history.”
This auction offers collectors a rare opportunity to acquire one or both of the most important Colt presentation revolvers of the 19th century—each given by Samuel Colt to John Coffee Hays. This is the first time the two have appeared together, and it may well be the last. Individually, each revolver tells a story of craftsmanship, frontier legend, and Colt’s personal legacy. Together, they form an unparalleled pairing—Colt’s tribute to a man who helped define the revolver’s place in American history.
Antique firearm. Transfers with no federal restrictions.
