This revolver is accompanied by factory letters from 1972 and 1973 addressed to Mr. Pemberton indicating this revolver was originally shipped from Colt on February 12, 1940, in .357 caliber with a 5 1/2 inch barrel, blue finish, and hard rubber grips. It was sent to Kruse Hardware Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. The second letter noted that the Repair Department's records listed this revolver as returned on September 23, 1963, "to be engraved by Al Herbert, fitted with Ivory stocks and 7 1/2 inch barrel. This work was performed on Job Number 80052." The original invoice for the work accompanies the revolver and indicates it was ordered by John D. Forlini of Pelham Manor, New York but never claimed. The order has the notation "Engraved by Herbert". David S. Woloch in a letter to Brig Pemberton wrote that Colt retained it until the late 1960s when they sold it to the highest bidder, Woloch. The revolver is featured on page 617 of "The Colt Engraving Book, Volume Two" by R.L. Wilson which also relays that the revolver was retained for several years before it was sold at auction. In looking into Forlini, we found that he was an engineer and died suddenly from a heart attack at the age of 49 at his home in Pelham Manor on February 25, 1964, which explains why he never reclaimed his Colt. Alvin F. Herbert was Colt's primary factory engraver in 1954-1968 and decorated guns for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Charles De Gaulle, Sammy Davis, Jr., and many other high profile politicians and celebrities. He was a prolific engraver who spent roughly 15 years at Colt, "turning out more than most engravers could in a 25 year period," according to noted Colt historian R.L. Wilson. However, Brig Pemberton wrote that this was the only pre-war Single Action Herbert engraved, and our records show no other examples. The revolver is also rare in that only approximately 525 First Generation Single Action Army revolvers were chambered at the factory in .357 Magnum after that cartridge's release in 1935. The revolver featured profuse scroll engraving at the muzzle, breech section of the barrel, cylinder, frame, trigger guard, and back strap. The post-war factory installed barrel has a rounded squareback blade front sight, the one-line address on top, and "COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY .357" on the left. The cylinder has a star on the back. The frame has the two-line patent marking and Rampant Colt trademark on the left. The trigger guard has "4" over the "VP" proof on the left. Matching serial numbers are on the frame and right side of the trigger guard and back strap. The grips have silver Colt medallions. Provenance: The John D. Forlini Collection; The David S. Woloch Collection; The Brad Weston Collection; The Brig & Louise Pemberton Collection

Near mint overall as factory embellished/upgraded with crisp engraving and markings, bright nickel, light aged patina and minimal age lines on the grips, and minimal light handling and storage type marks. Mechanically excellent. This is an incredibly rare revolver: the only Colt First Generation Single Action Army known to have been engraved by Alvin Herbert!