The man was waiting to nab one of three outlaw revolvers used in bank robberies by the Jesse James and Younger gangs in the late 1800s. But the prices that most of the items were bringing in this auction of military, Civil War and other historical collectibles were not too promising.
A regular at this auction house, he watched as collectors – most of them bidding over the internet – paid hundreds and thousands of dollars for items that had once been the collection of a local military and weapons collector.
Many of the items were museum quality, and I’m sure this collector had paid big bucks for them. In fact, I recalled seeing a receipt for an item that the man had bought at another auction for $16,000. None of the items at this sale went for that much money.
It was clear, though, that many of the folks who turned out in person and on the internet knew more about the items than me or the man waiting for a bank-heist gun. I barely saw any of the regulars; these were folks who were serious collectors.
This was a sale of everything from revolvers and rifles to wanted posters of John Dillinger and James Earl Ray to Franklin Mint knives (from its archives, much of which was sold last week) to Nazi memorabilia to even the display cases that the collector had used to store the items in his basement (which, the auctioneer said, was set up like a museum). About 80 percent of the items came from that collector; the Franklin Mint merchandise, obviously, did not.
Most items came with documentation bearing witness to their authenticity, along with some notes about their historical significance. There was a meat platter that came from the home of Stonewall Jackson and a rosary owned by the southern belle Confederate female spy Belle Boyd. The most odd was a belt buckle that had been removed from the body of a Confederate general when it was later exhumed for removal to another grave plot.
The man hoping to buy a revolver waited patiently for about five hours, and in the end he was rewarded. He bought a gun owned by Frank James, but like its original owner, it did not go quietly. The auction-goer was one of several bidders, and he finally won the last bid of $1,650. According to an affidavit, the gun was retrieved after the robbery of a Minnesota bank by the James gang in 1876. Frank James dropped the Smith and Wesson 45-caliber in the street as he mounted a horse to get away. Also at the auction, an Adams revolver stamped Jesse W. James along with a holster that were retrieved during a bank robbery in Minnesota sold for $2,100.
Here are some of the other items from this special sale and their sale prices:
Brig. Gen. John Echols Belt Buckle with the Virginia coat of arms
Brig. Gen. John Echols was a Confederate officer from Virginia, and the belt buckle was buried with him when he died in the late 19th century. His body was exhumed in the early years of the 20th century and the buckle was removed, according to the auction-house bid sheet. Another sheet accompanying the buckle noted that the family also removed his uniform and sold it. $750.
World War II Nazi Police Tunic
The sleeves had been taken up on this tunic, shortened for short arms. The auctioneer suggested that this may have been done to fit a child soldier. That may or may not have been true, but the Nazis did send indoctrinated child-soldiers to fight on the front – where many of them were slaughtered – during the waning years of World War II. $225.
Gen. J.E.B. Stuart headquarters flag
This was the most expensive item sold at auction: $7,000. It belonged to Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, a commander of the Confederate army during the Civil War and one of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s trusted officers. This was an Army of Northern Virginia flag with 13 stars on blue-crossed bars. It was presented to the Richmond Library by Confederate Major H.B. McClellan. The Army of Northern Virginia, also called “Lee’s Army,” was the confederacy’s main fighting force.
Bugsy Siegel’s faucet handles
A pair of porcelain bathroom faucet handles said to have belonged to mobster and Las Vegas casino owner Bugsy Siegel. It came with a certificate of authenticity. $130.
Leather Army Air Corps bomber jacket
This nice leather jacket was manufactured by a company called Avirex in memory of Maj. Richard Ira Bong, who was the “ace of aces” pilot during World War II. The interior of the jacket featured Bong’s image and a written homage to him. $120.
Gen. George Meade full dress cocked hat
This black beaver hat has gold bullion tassels at both ends and black plumes on each side. It came with a letter of authenticity. Gen. George Meade was known for pushing Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia out of Gettysburg. $2,000.
President Lincoln’s medical cup
This cup came from what the auction sheet called a famous collection that had been the custodian of Lincoln’s tomb. None of the folks at the auction or on the internet were impressed enough to accept the first bid of $1,000 and then $700 for it. The cup did not sell.
Another unsold item was a pair of surgical scissors belonging to Dr. Samuel Mudd, whose grandson confirmed that he had used them to cut John Wilkes Booth’s leg so Mudd could set a broken bone. Mudd was convicted of conspiring with Booth and others to assassinate President Lincoln. Mudd was later pardoned, and his family tried for years to clear his name.
Queen Victoria lap desk
This desk was patented in 1895, and contained a “gold-filled letter box, stamp holder, address bar and ink bottle.” It was presumably presented to Queen Victoria on her 60th birthday. $750.
Confederate spy Belle Boyd’s rosary
Belle Boyd was an avid confederate spy; in fact, she came from a family of spies. She got much of her intel on Union activities by flirting with Union soldiers when she visited their camps. She was arrested several times but largely was able to avoid being jailed for an extensive period for any crimes. $425.
Stonewall Jackson’s meat platter
This platter was said to have been used by Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson when he taught at Virginia Military Institute a decade before the Civil War. He was a confederate officer, who with Robert E. Lee defeated the Union army at Chancellorsville, VA, in 1863. $275.
