Morphy Auctions realizes $6.8M in sales at their Firearms & Militaria Auction

DENVER, Pa. – Even in the midst of high market supply, Morphy’s attracted top-tier bidders to their December 6-8, 2023 Firearms & Militaria Auction and achieved a three-day total of nearly $6.8 million. According to Dan Morphy, founder and president of Morphy Auctions, there was intense competition for fresh-to-market engraved antique and first-generation Colts as well as any other scarce or unusual pieces in especially nice condition.

A prime example of a gun that had it all was a beautiful and historically important Colt .45 Single Action Army revolver from one of the sale’s featured collections, that of the late Richard “Dick” Burdick. With steerhead pearl grips, and geometric and floral factory engraving applied on Aug. 3, 1891, after Cuno Helfricht, it was initially sent as a shipment of one to George W. Shreve. The gun appears on Pg 421 of Wilson’s The Colt Engraving Book Volume I. According to this respected reference, Shreve was the grandson of a Revolutionary War veteran, was in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, and was present at Lee's surrender at Appomattox. Shreve also worked for several firearms companies before opening a store in San Francisco, which was destroyed in 1906. With extensive paperwork, including Colt Factory letters, this stunning firearm sold for $104,550 against an estimate of $40,000-$60,000.

Another top prize from the Burdick collection was a rare Colt .45 Sheriff’s Model Single Action Army Revolver with matching serial numbers and factory-carved ivory grips. According to noted author/collector Ron Graham, it is one of only two known factory-engraved guns of its type with a 3½-inch barrel. The accompanying Colt Factory Archive letter confirmed the revolver had initially shipped in 1898 to Simmons Hardware in St Louis, Missouri, in a shipment of one gun. It soared past its pre-sale estimate of $60,000-$100,000 to capture a winning bid of $184,500.

The fine selection of antique American longarms was topped by a magnificent factory-engraved and silverplated Model 1860 Henry rifle. Produced in 1862 in .44 RF caliber, its barrel was marked with the Henry pattern: OCT 16, 1860 / MANUFACT’D BY NEW HAVEN ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN CT. Morphy’s catalog description noted that the engraving pattern matched one that is shown in The Book of Winchester Engraving. Aiming high with an estimate of $70,000-$100,000, it did not disappoint, rising to $92,250.

Dan Morphy noted that high-end European sporting arms had no shortage of bidders, either. The tempting lineup included a spectacular circa-2013 Hartmann & Weiss (Hamburg) 16 bore side-by-side shotgun with nitro proofed 29-inch blued barrels. Embellished with attractive rose and scroll engraving by master engraver Florian Gullert, it presented in excellent condition and came with a lightweight leather toe-under case with a black and gold Hartmann & Weiss leather trade label. It easily surpassed its high estimate, selling for $74,400.

An outstanding, fresh-to-market 16th-century bronze cannon came to auction with noble European lineage, having once been the property of Friedrich of Prague, Baron of Windhag. A fascinating example of European artillery, it was boldly emblazoned "GOTTES GNADE IST GROS" (translation: God's grace is great) over a coat of arms depicting monkeys on a chain, in reference to an important nobleman named Ladislaus Prager. Entered with a pre-sale estimate of $5,000-$10,000, it unleashed its auction firepower and ultimately sold for $36,900.

Class 3 weapons comprise a category that has its own specific set of ownership rules and regulations. Such firearms require BATF approval before they can convey to a new owner, and many are not available to civilian collectors at all. Those rare examples that clear the hurdles for possible private purchase and ownership are avidly pursued by military firearms aficionados and always create a stir prior to appearing at a Morphy’s firearms sale. The December 6-8 auction was no exception. “We started receiving enquiries about Class 3s even before our catalog published online,” Dan Morphy said.

Leading the Class 3 section was a Colt 1921/28 .45-caliber Navy Thompson machine gun in spectacular original condition with 1928 internal parts and a correctly anchor-marked original buttstock. John Keene, Morphy’s Class 3 firearms specialist, commented that it was the “finest specimen of its type [he had] ever seen.” It reached the upper end of its estimate range at $90,000.

An original and extremely desirable “US”-marked Saco-Lowell Maremont M-60 machine gun, actually a fully-transferable original M-60D in 7.62mm NATO caliber, was another Class 3 highlight. Its condition was described in the auction catalog as being so beautiful, it would be all but impossible to upgrade. It landed within its estimate range at $82,800.

Interest in Bowie knives and some powder horns was quite evident. A classic California-style dirk with a 6-inch blade, made by Will & Finck, San Francisco, was stamped on the scabbard with the manufacturer’s name and patent, and its decorative marine ivory grips added a distinctive accent to the already desirable edged weapon. With provenance from the Dick Burdick collection, it came to auction with a $10,000-$20,000 estimate and, after a spirited round of bidding, found its true market value at $39,360.

A nicely patinated French and Indian War powder horn attributed to “The Master Carver” displayed highly detailed scenes of Presque Isle, Lake Erie, Fort Detroit, Quebec, and the “Fall of Niagara,” as well as images of Native Americans holding war clubs and scalps. It sold for $48,000 against an estimate of $15,000-$30,000.

To discuss consigning a collection or individual item to a future Firearms & Militaria auction at Morphy’s, call Dan Morphy tollfree at 877-968-8880 or email info@morphyauctions.com. There is never an obligation to consign, and all enquiries are kept strictly confidential. Visit Morphy’s online at www.morphyauctions.com.

*All prices quoted in this postsale report are inclusive of buyer’s premium as detailed in Morphy’s Terms and Conditions.

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