Auction Recap: Julia’s Fairfield Firearms Auction

FAIRFIELD, Maine _ Every fall, two separate firearms auction companies, James D. Julia, Inc. & Poulin Auctions, conduct firearms auctions back-to-back in Fairfield, Maine. This year the Julia fall auction generated more than $15.1 million in sales, and combined with approximately $3.2 million produced at the Poulin auction pushed the entire gross to more than $18.3 million. Approximately 390 lots realized $10,000 or more, 136 lots hit $25,000 or more, nearly 40 lots came in over $50,000, and 9 lots topped out over $100,000.

This auction featured over 500 lots of sporting arms which generated nearly $5 million. Stars of the sale included several of the A.H. Fox shotguns from the Dana J. Tauber Estate Collection. The pièce de résistance from this collection was the 20 bore Fox FE with special gold inlays that realized $166,750, making it the top shotgun of the sale. Parkers and Winchesters did well and an outstanding Parker A-1 Special from the Bouwkamp Collection brought $142,600. Numerous fine Winchester Model 21s were included in the auction, the most important of which was a custom 20 gauge finished with 5 inlaid gold stars for the first chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff and one of just nine 5-star generals in the history of the US armed forces, Omar Bradley. It generated $115,000.

Fine sporting guns from England and Europe included a Holland & Holland known as the “Swan Gun”, a Royal Hammerless Ejector gun with sculptured decorations with multi-gold inlays old for $120,750. A pair of original condition, lightweight, 16 gauge Golden Age Boss Sidelock Ejector guns sold for $155,250. A James Purdey and Sons Hammer Underlever 8 bore rifle was estimated brought $69,000.

Julia’s sells high end, rare and valuable Confederate and Civil War and this auction featured three well-known collections. The most competed for gun was a Confederate Scoped Second Quality Whitworth Sharp Shooter’s rifle from the estate collection of Confederate and historical arms of Morris Racker that sold for $161,000. A Cofer revolver serial number 1 sold for $103,500. Also from the Racker Collection was an inscribed and cased early 1st model LeMat Grapeshot revolver that belonged to Confederate surgeon Thomas B. Memminger, son of Confederate Secretary of Treasure Christopher G. Memminger that sold for $57,500. A Colt Walker percussion revolver from the Robert Roughton Collection brought $71,875. The Fred Donaldson Estate featured a fine 1st model Griswold revolver that belonged to Confederate Captain John Morton that brought $23,000. A Civil War Cyrus Alger 1853-dated bronze 12 pounder Mountain Howitzer sold for $69,000. After all was said and done, more than 170 rare Civil War arms and related items were sold in this auction, generating a total of nearly $2 million.

This auction also featured the largest offering of Virginia Manufactory firearms to come to auction in many years, a total of 15 arms. The top performer was a 1809 dated 1st model pistol from the 3rd Virginia Regiment from the collection of Robert Roughton. The nearly all-original gun sold for $46,000.

For more information on James D. Julia, Inc. please visit www.jamesdjulia.com.