You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

[Lee Stewart]

In 2002, a pair of exquisite saddle pistols presented to George Washington by the Marquis de Lafayette during the Revolutionary War made headlines when they sold at auction for a staggering $1.98 million at Christie's. The pistols, crafted by master gunsmith Jacob Walster, were part of the extensive collection of items inherited by Washington's many indirect heirs after his death.

Remarkably, these pistols later found their way into the hands of Andrew Jackson, another prominent figure in American history. During a visit to Jackson in 1826, the Marquis himself confirmed that these were the same pistols he had gifted to Washington during the war.

[Lee Stewart]

In a record-setting sale, the gun that ended the life of one of the Wild West's most notorious outlaws, Billy the Kid, fetched over $6 million in 2021 in Los Angeles. The Colt single-action revolver was used by Sheriff Pat Garrett to take down the infamous bandit in 1881.

The sale was conducted by Bonhams auctioneers in Los Angeles and the identity of the buyer remains anonymous. The auction house described the firearm as "the most iconic treasure of early Western history."

The gun had been part of the Texas couple Jim and Theresa Earle's Western artifacts collection for over 50 years. The unexpected sale price of $6.03 million, more than double the pre-sale estimate, has set a new world record for any firearm auction. Billy the Kid, who killed eight men, was 21 years old when he was shot and killed by Garrett on July 14, 1881, at a ranch in Fort Sumner, New Mexico.

[Lee Stewart]

[Lee Stewart]

[Lee Stewart]

[Lee Stewart]

[Lee Stewart]

[Lee Stewart]

[Lee Stewart]

[Lee Stewart]