From December 8 to 10, Rock Island Auction Company will offer historic firearms in a multi-day auction in Bedford, Texas. One of the key lots in the sale is a golden single-action Colt revolver that belonged to and was inscribed to historic Mexican and Western figure Pancho Villa.
“Pancho Villa’s life was marked by a decade-long revolutionary fight that played a pivotal role in the history of Mexico and the American Southwest,” the auction house notes. “Villa’s actions led to the downfalls of Mexican presidents Porfirio Diaz and Victoriano Huerta. While he is celebrated as a folk hero who championed the common people against the rich and powerful, Villa’s methods left a trail of violence on both sides of the border, attracting international attention and retribution from both American and Mexican forces.”
Golden single-action Colt revolver inscribed to Francisco “Pancho” Villa Estimate: $650/950,000
Though the exact history of the gun involves some speculation—for instance, it may have been a gift from the German government, which supported Villa during the Mexican Revolution—the auction house has provenance that places the gun in Villa’s possession before his assassination in 1923. The .45-caliber Colt is also inscribed to Villa. It is estimated at $650,000 to $950,000.
Other lots in the December sale include rare and one-of-a-kind Colts and Winchesters, many of them beautifully engraved, and also a lever-action repeating rifle inscribed to Buffalo Bill Cody. The sale will also have segments on Texas history. In the world of movie memorabilia, the auction will offer the iconic Shiloh-Sharps Model 1874 single-action rifle that played a prominent role in the 1990 Australian Western Quigley Down Under, starring Tom Selleck.
Visit the auction’s website at www.rockislandauction.com for more information. —
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