Cowan's Auctions, located in Cincinnait, is preparing to hawk what its staff says would be the
highest-priced firearm to be sold at auction in Ohio history.
The antique gun is an 1886 model Winchester rifle that was the
favorite of many turn-of-the century sportsmen, including President
Theodore Roosevelt. The .33-caliber weapon, designed by famed firearms
pioneer John Browning, was known for its "buttery" smooth firing
action. It was commissioned by American auto magnate John F. Dodge and
delivered in 1913 but never fired. Dodge wanted it as a piece of art.
The
rifle features inlay wood carvings of a buck, doe and fawn on one side
of the receiver (the base of the barrel) and a bull-moose and cow on
the other. The animal recesses are filled with some of the 195 grams
(6.8 ounces) of gold that are on the rifle. The 1886 is one of two
high-profile pieces commissioned by Dodge that will be auctioned at 10
a.m. April 29 at Cowan's in Winton Place. The event is open to the
public.
Firearms expert Jack Lewis at Cowan's said the
Winchester, consigned from a family in a Southern state, will fetch a
minimum sale price of $400,000. Bids could go as high as $600,000.
That,
Lewis said, would make the Winchester the highest-priced firearm sold
at auction in Ohio (and that doesn't include a 15 percent buyer's
premium, which is added to the high bid). The previous high is thought
to be Sitting Bull's Whitney Revolver, sold for $120,750 at auction
Nov. 17, 2005, at Cowan's.
Location: PostList
Be the first to rate this post
- Currently 0/5 Stars.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5