A trio of James Purdey &
Sons 28-gauge shotguns and firearms owned by Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and President
Theodore Roosevelt commanded top
dollar at the May Premier Auction
BEDFORD,
Texas, May 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rock
Island Auction Company (RIAC) realized $25.7 million in sales during its first Premier
Auction of 2024, Friday, May 17
through Sunday, May 19 in
Bedford, TX. The world's leading
firearms auction house featured over 2,200 lots of
high-conditioned, historic, investment-grade firearms for
auction.
The event's highest selling item, with a high estimate of
$400,000, was a trio of master
engraved James Purdey & Sons
shotguns, which commanded an impressive $528,750. Theodore
Roosevelt's massive Hawken buffalo rifle sold for
$235,000, $150,000 more than its pre-auction value. Another
highly anticipated item was a historic Calderwood & Son pinfire
revolver owned by Lt. Col. George Armstrong
Custer that was kept in the Custer family until 1956. The
revolver came with an inscribed case with Custer's initials,
"G.A.C." on its lid and sold for $141,000. The original pre-auction value of the
pinfire revolver was $50,000-$75,000.
"These sales results absolutely continue the momentum we've seen
since opening our new facility in Texas," said Kevin
Hogan, President of Rock Island Auction Company. "It was a
fantastic weekend for collectors, with some pieces available for
the first time in decades. It made for a lot of excitement in the
room, and we can't wait to show our clients what's coming in our
June and August auctions."
As RIAC's flagship spring event, the 2024 May Premier Auction
amassed nearly $3.7 million more than
the 2023 May Premier Auction, boasting the unprecedented growth the
company continues to achieve. The premier event showcased its
breadth in collecting with items as wide-ranging as 30 artisan
European firearms from the Norman R.
Blank Collection and a curated grouping of military vehicles
from the Allan Cors Collection.
This auction was particularly notable for RIAC due to their
collaboration with USA Shooting,
offering a Krieghoff K-32 Shotgun with all proceeds benefiting the
USA Shooting Team's quest for
Olympic gold. Despite their remarkable tally of 121 Olympic and
Paralympic medals, USA Shooting
often struggles with funding and lacks sponsor support compared to
other U.S. Olympic teams. The $35,250
raised from the Krieghoff K-32 Shotgun sale will help cover the
additional expenses the team will face at this year's Olympic Games
in Paris.
Additional highlights from the May Premier Auction include the
sale of:
- Factory One of One Thousand Winchester Model 1873 Rifle
($528,750)
- President of Mexico Le Page Double Barrel Percussion Shotgun
($440,625)
- Documented Colt Model 1907 U.S.
Army Test Trials Pistol ($352,500)
- B Company No. 102 U.S. Colt model 1847 Walker percussion
revolver marked for Mexican General and Governor of Coahuila Andres
Viesca ($264,375)
- 9" military pattern Squareback Colt model No. 5 Texas Paterson
revolver ($264,375)
For more information on Rock Island Auction Company and other
highlights from their May Premier Auction,
visit www.rockislandauction.com.
About Rock Island Auction Company:
Rock Island Auction
Company is the world's no. 1 auction company for firearms, bladed
weapons and militaria. Founded in 1993 by its current CEO
Patrick Hogan, RIAC continues to
lead the industry with record sales numbers and its extensive and
well-crafted marketing efforts. The company's 150,000 square-foot
Illinois campus consists of two
buildings and serves as the company's hub for catalog and content
production. The 90,000 square-foot Bedford facility opened in December 2023 and will host six of the company's
18+ auctions each year. RIAC actively seeks consignments, be it a
single weapon or a collection of hundreds, an item valued at
$1,000 or $1
million.
Media Contact:
Mattie Van
Gundy
(713) 409-1835
378191@email4pr.com
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SOURCE Rock Island Auction Company