This is too far away for me to go fetch or I'd be real quiet about it for a few days, but, if you ignore the undocumented and likely spurious reference to Teddy Roosevelt (although with the amount of crap they carried, who knows where it all ended up), and throw away what looks like some sort of single-barreled shotgun, that thing would look great in some AR member's trophy room.
The auction house will ship, but what that would cost is anybody's guess, but if any AR folks are around Shipshewana...
I am not associated in any way with whoever owns the trunk or the auctioneer.
"If you’re innocent why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?”- Donald Trump
Posts: 11022 | Location: Tennessee | Registered: 09 December 2007
The box has a very strange shape: long and narrow with an upward-curving end, as though it was intended to be pulled like a sled. I wonder why. Kind of a cool thing, even if it wasn't really TR's.
Posts: 572 | Location: southern Wisconsin, USA | Registered: 08 January 2009
Originally posted by Die Ou Jagter: It includes the single barrel, current bids at $60. Just doesen't make sense., or am I reading something wrong.
Those are just the online pre-bids. The live auction tomorrow in the gallery is when the fireworks will start (if they do).
I sent them a couple of questions, this is their reply:
quote:
The trunk measures approx. 93"long x 16"wide. The gun has the following markings: 1) on the side plate it says VICTOR, AMERICAN GUN CO. NEW YORK & has the mark 12 GA 2) on the underside (the trigger plate) it has the numbers 567 on top of the numbers 219 3) stamped into the wood at the end of the stock are the numbers 370-140-4286 Hope this helps. If you have any further questions, please let us know. Thanks, Laura.
"If you’re innocent why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?”- Donald Trump
Posts: 11022 | Location: Tennessee | Registered: 09 December 2007
Originally posted by sdirks: The box has a very strange shape: long and narrow with an upward-curving end, as though it was intended to be pulled like a sled. I wonder why. Kind of a cool thing, even if it wasn't really TR's.
Maybe the porter carried it with that end forward so it didn't snag brush. I dunno...
"If you’re innocent why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?”- Donald Trump
Posts: 11022 | Location: Tennessee | Registered: 09 December 2007
Anyone checked to see if such a gun was ever carried by TR? Somehow, and I could be or am wrong, but seeing the list of the other guns brought on the trip, and the guns TR preferred to use here in America, a single shot 12 gauge does not fit in with what I have read about TR's preference in firearms.
Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting: Anyone checked to see if such a gun was ever carried by TR? Somehow, and I could be or am wrong, but seeing the list of the other guns brought on the trip, and the guns TR preferred to use here in America, a single shot 12 gauge does not fit in with what I have read about TR's preference in firearms.
The odds are astronomical that this trunk was ever in the same State as TR, much less actually owned by him. I suppose there's a slim chance it belonged to somebody who was along on safari with him, but nobody should even consider bidding based on any supposed association with him without documentation. I see it as a purely decorative item that would certainly add something to the right trophy room, BUT at almost eight feet long it would need to be a fairly large room.
"If you’re innocent why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?”- Donald Trump
Posts: 11022 | Location: Tennessee | Registered: 09 December 2007
The American Gun Company was the "house brand" of H&D Folsom Sporting Goods, New York City, c. 1895-1930. The guns were manufactured by Crescent Arms, Norwich, Connecticut.
"If you’re innocent why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?”- Donald Trump
Posts: 11022 | Location: Tennessee | Registered: 09 December 2007
I don't think this gun had any connection with TR. In East Africa TR used a American made engraved A.H.Fox Co. "F" Grade, double barrel .12 ga "I had a Fox No. 12 shotgun; no better gun was ever made". The TR Fox shotgun sold recently for a record $862,500.00 by J.D. Julia Auctions, the highest price paid in auction for an American shotgun.
it had 30" barrels, choked modified & full, automatic safety, trigger pull 5 lbs right; 6 lbs left. The gun weighed 7 lbs 8 oz.
Teddy wrote the Fox Gun company: "The double barrel shotgun has come, and I really think it is the most beautiful gun I have ever seen. I am exceedingly proud of it. I am almost ashamed to take it to Africa and expose it to the rough usage it will receive. But now that I have it, I could not possibly make up my mind to leave it behind. I am extremely proud that I am to have such a beautiful bit of American workmanship with me."
He killed many gamebirds with it, including Egyptian geese, ducks, francolins, spurfowl, and sand grouse.
The gun stayed in the Roosevelt family until 1974 when it was sold to a gun collector named Tom Kidd. Then later sold to another collector in 2000 before being sold at the Julia auction.
Posts: 353 | Location: tanzania, east africa | Registered: 27 March 2008
Originally posted by sdirks: The box has a very strange shape: long and narrow with an upward-curving end, as though it was intended to be pulled like a sled. I wonder why. Kind of a cool thing, even if it wasn't really TR's.
I agree, it does look like an interesting piece from "the Good Olde Days". Some of the "contents" might be part of the original kit, but I wouldn't bet on it. Particularly the shotgun! Judging from the unusual shape, I'm guessing it was "purpose-built" to contain specific items, and to fit in a specific space, as said, maybe a boat, or wagon, or sledge of some kind. I think the auction house used the term "Safari Trunk" very loosely here, as I doubt this box was part of a massive portered expedition or safari. On those major expeditions there were MANY trunks or crates, also purpose built, but it was typical that each was numbered for ease of inventory at the end of each day's march. And a Roosevelt Expedition would also quite likely have had additional markings on each box. My guess is that it was used in North America . . . but I'm just theorizing . . .
"Africaphile of note" Life Member SCI Life Member NRA
On the subject of TR's safari crates: Here's photo of a bunch of his crates. I believe these are probably his taxidermy skins, horns & specimens arriving in america(?) I have another old photo somewhere showing many crates of winchester arms ammunition, with each crate was numbered and marked "Theodore Roosevelt".
Posts: 353 | Location: tanzania, east africa | Registered: 27 March 2008
