Beschreibung:

.42 cup fire / .40 caliber percussion, 6" ribbed octagonal barrel, S/N 1213 & 1216. Silver-plated finish with gold-washed cylinders, fire blued cylinder arbor pins, color case hardened hammers and smooth mother-of-pearl grips. Dual 6-shot cylinders allowing for use as either cartridge or percussion revolvers. One-line roll mark on top of the barrel ribs reads: PLANT'S. MFG. CO. NEW HAVEN.CT, left side of barrels read: MERWIN & BRAY, NEW-YORK. Both revolvers profusely engraved in the style of L.D. Nimschke with flowing foliate scrolls, punch-dot background shading and geometric borders of the highest quality. #1213 features an engraved central panel of a dog and deer game scene on the reverse side plate. The deer is virtually identical to the deer commonly found on Hoggson engraved Henry rifles and early 1866 Winchesters leading to the possibility that Hoggson engraved the panel scenes on these. #1216 features a dog on point in an oval panel in the same location. #1216 has an empty panel on the backstrap where the owner's initials could be engraved, while #1213 features full coverage on the backstrap. The revolvers are contained in their original French fitted rosewood veneered wood casing with German silver corner reinforcements and lid escutcheon with a green velvet French fitted interior for the two revolvers. The casing contains: two spare factory engraved percussion cylinders, a silver-plated dual-cavity iron bullet mold, a silver-plated rosewood handled loading tool, a silver-plated copper eagle motif powder flask, and a steel cleaning rod. An empty compartment shows the imprint of a box of Plant cup fire cartridges, now missing, with the opposite compartment likely having contained a packet of percussion cartridges that are not present either. A green fabric label readings MERWIN & BRAY, NEW YORK in gold leaf has been whip stitched into the lid of the case. This iconic set is the finest known cased pair of Merwin & Bray retailed Plant 3rd Model Army revolvers complete with the scarce dual cylinder allowing for cartridge or percussion use. Merwin & Bray were the exclusive distributors for Plant's Patent Revolvers. Provenance:Wm Locke Col Condition: Excellent. Both revolvers retain nearly all of their original silver plating with some minor thinning, minute flaking and some scattered toning. Cylinders with strong traces of thinned gilding. All markings clear and crisp with equally sharp engraving throughout. Arbor pins retain much of their original fire blued finish with hammers retaining strong hints of case color. #1213 with fine, bright bore. #1216's trigger spring is weak. #1216 with fine bore. Both revolvers with fine condition smooth mother of pearl grips, with #1216's grips numbered to the gun on their interiors. The other set is unmarked. Both sets of grips remain crisp with the left panel of #1216 showing a couple of minor surface cracks that have discolored slightly. All of the accessories are in about fine condition and match the condition of the pistols perfectly. The case is very good but a 6.5 inch by .5 inch piece of rosewood veneer is missing from the lower left front edge. Casing shows minor marks. Interior with light to moderate wear, discoloration and some moderate age fading. Gilt stamped green silk "MERWIN & BRAY NEW YORK" label in lid. The finest set of these revolvers known. Museum worthy throughout.