The Colt Single Action Army revolver is the most iconic of all American firearms. Its silhouette is instantly recognizable around the world as the western cowboy’s trusty sidearm. The hardest men in the world packed the legendary Colt six-shooter from its adoption by the U.S. Army in 1873 until well-into the 20th century. It saw widespread use on the American frontier with the U.S. Cavalry in the Indian Wars as well as by legendary Old West lawmen, outlaws, and gunfighters. Custer’s men made their last stand with Single Actions in 1876. A smoking barrel of a Colt Single Action was in Pat Garrett’s hand while Billy the Kid lay on the floor in 1881. In 1898, as Roosevelt’s Rough Riders geared up in San Antonio for the fight in Cuba, they chose the Colt as their sidearms. Well into the 20th century, the Colt remained a powerful symbol of the American fighting man. Frank Hamer and other Texas Rangers continued to carry Colt Single Actions. During World War II, General George Patton famously carried his ivory handled Colt as he led Americans to victory in Europe, and other Americans are documented as carrying their Colt Single Actions into combat in the Pacific. Beyond being a reliable, accurate handgun trusted by American fighting men and famous around the world, the Colt Single Action Army has always been a classic work of American art, with Colts engraved by the renowned master engravers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries reigning supreme as the most coveted of all American fine arms. These extraordinary revolvers often originated as presentation pieces, including examples presented to powerful statesmen at home and abroad as exemplified by this revolver engraved and gold inlaid by Master Engraver Louis D. Nimschke in 1888 for Mexican President Jose Manuel del Refugio Gonzalez Flores, Nimschke’s masterpiece: the Black Beauty Colt Single Action Army. It is difficult to overstate the beauty of this incredible Colt engraved while Nimschke’s skill and artistry were at their peak. The engraving is extraordinary and unique, even for Nimschke, and the blued finish accented by gold inlaid bands and borders provides beautiful contrast both up close and at a distance. The revolver truly is a masterpiece and remains arguably the finest Colt Single Action Army revolver in private hands. The elegance and condition combined with the history make it truly exceptional. It ranks alongside Nimschke's earlier masterpieces such Ulysses S. Grant’s Remington New Model Army revolvers. The evolution of Nimschke's engraving between the 1860s and 1880s is evident. Grant’s revolvers did not feature gold inlays, one of the most notable and rarest features on the "Black Beauty." Gold inlays are rarely seen on Nimschke engraved firearms with few exceptions, including other masterpieces such as the stunning Manhattan Navy and the George L. Holmes buggy rifle. Additional noteworthy masterpieces for comparison include the solid silver frame Winchester Model 1866 presented to the president of Bolivia. This revolver is the last of the great Nimschke masterpieces. While the "Black Beauty" is rightly considered to be Master Engraver L. D. Nimschke's masterpiece by Colt Single Action Army collectors, we also know that Nimschke himself recognized this revolver's significance as demonstrated by pulls of the revolver's engraving from his scrapbook shown in "L. D. Nimschke Firearms Engraver" by R.L. Wilson on pages 83 and 84. Incredibly rare original pulls with display notes are included, and their provenance is discussed further below. This is the only Nimschke masterpiece known accompanied by the original pulls. The pull featuring the back strap is noted "Furmann/1888", and the serial number is faintly visible in another. These pulls are tangible links back to the artist. In some of the original pulls such as those from the Robert M. Lee Foundation in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, you can actually see Nimschke’s finger prints. These historically significant pulls provide a catalog raisonne for Nimschke’s work, a link missing for his contemporaries such as Gustave Young and the Ulrichs. In an included letter, R.L. Wilson indicated he was not yet aware of the existence of the revolver when he published the book, but it was featured in a double page color spread in "The Colt Engraving Book Volume 1". In the letter, Wilson wrote, "Only a limited number of examples of Nimschke-engraved firearms have been identified by pulls from the scrapbook. Number 126506 ranks among the most important of these arms, by far." Wilson also noted, "Having studied the creative craftsmanship of L.D. Nimschke for over 40 years, the author has been aware since first studying the scrapbook that this artisan did not often employ gold inlay in his embellishments. Hardly any gold inlaid pieces appear in the scrapbook, and only a handful of guns so decorated by him have ever been found." In addition to Wilson's books, the revolver was featured on the cover of the Spring 1987 issue "The Texas Gun Collector" and the cover of the Spring 1993 issue of "The Rampant Colt" with the notation "Best Single Weapon" in reference to the revolver winning the award at the 1992 Colt show in Hartford. The included factory letters confirm this revolver was in .44-40 with a 7 1/2 inch barrel, "soft" finish, and rubber stocks when it was shipped to H. C. Furman on June 2, 1888. The revolver features L.D. Nimschke's signature "L.D.N." on the barrel right at the front of the ejector housing and displays his finest interlacing scroll engraving with finely beaded backgrounds on the barrel at the muzzle with a small break before continuing the rest of the length of the barrel, along the outside of the ejector housing, nearly all of the frame, and on the trigger guard and the back strap. An eagle head is among the scrolls on the left side of the recoil shield. Gadrooning flanks the sight groove on the top strap. The trigger guard bow features a pair of crossing banners similar to the single banner featured on each of Ulysses S. Grant's Remingtons and the pair attributed as presented to Alexander II of Russia. There are pairs of gold bands at the muzzle and breech ends of the barrel, gold borders around the sides of the frame and top strap, gold borders on the back strap, a single gold band at the breech end of the cylinder, gold bands at the front edge of the loading gate and recoil shield, and gold inlaid scrolls on the shoulders of the trigger guard and the upper side flats of the back strap. This is an exceptional amount of gold inlays for any antique Colt Single Action Army, but it is especially extraordinary on a Nimschke engraved revolver. In addition, the top of the back strap features a gold inlaid "MG" monogram. The revolver features a blade front sight, the one-line "COLT'S PT. F. A. MFG. Co HARTFORD CT. U.S.A." address on top of the barrel, small "44" caliber designation on the underside of the barrel, "44 CAL" on the front left of the trigger guard, assembly number "340" on the loading gate, and matching serial numbers visible on the frame, trigger guard, and back strap. It is fitted with a pair of Rampant Colt and federal eagle embossed checkered hard rubber grips with the matching partial serial number "6506" marked on the insides at the butt. The revolver is now accompanied by a russet leather Mexican double loop holster with floral designs in silver and gold bullion. The shipment of the revolver to H.C. Furman is notable beyond his name being listed on the pull from Nimschke's scrapbook. Howard Cogswell Furman (1841-1926) was the second husband of Ella Remington (1845-1913), the daughter of Philo Remington (1816-1889), the eldest of the sons of Eliphalet Remington. They wed in 1884 shortly after Furman’s firm became Remington’s sole agents for sporting arms and ammunition. He was the New York manager for Lamberson, Furman & Co., agents for Remington from 1883 to 1888 based out of 281 and 283 Broadway. The company name is boldly printed on the cover of Remington’s price lists for that period, and their advertisements in the 1880s focused on them being the sole agents for E. Remington & Co. and make no mention of Colt. Our records do not list any other Colts shipped to Furman. Given this, the shipment of “Black Beauty” to Furman is at first surprising, but when you consider the timing, it makes more sense. Remington revolvers engraved by Nimschke in the 1880s would have involved Furman’s company, and Nimschke's was only about a mile away at 1 Essex Street. Remington had relied heavily on foreign contracts, including selling Model 1875 revolvers to Mexico, but was suffering financially and went into receivership in 1886 after defaulted payments. The works were sold at auction in March 1888 to Hartley & Graham for $200,000. Furman represented his firm at the sale. Wilson in "The Colt Engraving Book Volume 1" states that Furman "operated a firearms dealership at 281 Broadway, New York City, successor to Lamberson & Furman." The New York directory for 1888 listed "Furman Howard C. guns, 281 B'way, H 133 W. 41st.” Trow's City Directory that year listed Lamberson, Furman & Co. at the 281 Broadway address. The following year neither are listed, and Furman is later listed as a broker. An included copy of a letter on Lamberson, Furman & Co. letterhead dated February 13, 1890, is signed by H. C. Furman and deals with a receipt for 100 shares of Silver King Stock. Lamberson was invited by Lyman J. Gage, Chairman of the Finance Committee of the World's Fair, to make preliminary organizations for the famous World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 in Chicago and served as superintendent of subscriptions raising $5,000,000. It is quite possible the revolver was displayed at the Exposition Universelle of 1889 in Paris before being presented to President Gonzalez. Many of Nimschke's finest pieces were commissioned for the World's Fairs, and the revolver's engraving and inlay work certainly places it among the finest firearms engraved in the 19th century. Colt displayed firearms and engines at the fair. In 1879, Gonzalez had received another notable high art firearm, the famous Le Page-Moutier double barrel shotgun presented to him by the French president which was also likely previously displayed at international expositions. The history of the revolver after it returned from Mexico is detailed in an included statement from Tom Power in 2012. He indicated the revolver was brought out of Mexico by Enrique E. Guerra of Texas who was a friend of Mexican President Manuel Gonzalez's family and that it remained in his collection until 1988 when he sold it to Jack Slaughter. Slaughter displayed the revolver and offered it to Brig Pemberton shortly thereafter, but Brig and Louise Pemberton did not acquire the revolver for several more years. In the meantime, it was purchased by Ray Bentley who displayed it at the Colt show in 1992. It was then purchased by Richard Ellis. From Ellis it passed to Dr. Joseph Murphy and then was sold by Murphy to Brig and Louise Pemberton via dealer Marty Lane and has remained in their collection until now. The Nimschke pulls from the revolver were purchased by Richard Ellis from Dr. Richard C. Marohn as documented in an included July 5, 1995, receipt. Dr. Marohn owned Nimschke's scrapbook, files, loose pulls, and other items, and he notes in an included letter that he had planned a future publication on Nimschke. Unfortunately, that publication was never completed. The pulls were passed along with the revolver to Dr. Murphy and then to Brig and Louise Pemberton. Provenance: Mexican President Manuel Gonzales; The Enrique E. Guerra Collection; The Jack Slaughter Collection; The Ray Bentley Collection; The Richard Ellis Collection; The Joseph Murphy Collection; Marty Lane; The Brig & Louise Pemberton Collection

Excellent with crisp engraving and markings, bright gold inlays, bright niter blue on the screw, hammer, and trigger, slight patination of the otherwise bright sides of the hammer, 90% plus bright original high polish blue finish, fading to an even brown patina mostly on the grip straps, faint drag lines on the cylinder, and generally only minimal age and handling related wear overall. The grips are also excellent and display distinct embossed designs, crisp checkering, light aged patina mainly on the butt, and minimal handling wear. The holster is also very fine with minor wear, including some verdigris on the silver. Black beauty is a once in lifetime, collection defining masterpiece.