Milestone Sets its Sights on a Million-Dollar Target With May 26 Premier Firearms & Militaria Auction
Featured: 19th C. silver-mounted flintlock rifle by George III's gun maker, rare original 1899 Annie Oakley cabinet card, WWII Nazi German Knight's Cross Certificate/Folio
WILLOUGHBY, Ohio, May 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, May 26, Milestone Auctions of Willoughby (suburban Cleveland), Ohio, will present a spectacular selection of 872 antique and vintage firearms and militaria with a timeline that runs from the Revolutionary War through Vietnam. All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet.
A fascinating group of items from the American Revolutionary War era creates a revealing overview of what life was like in the colonies. An American-made bayonet halberd, hand-forged and 14.75 inches long on a custom stand, comes with provenance from the Bill Guthman collection. In excellent condition, it is estimated at $2,500-$3,500.
A double-enlistment document for Colonel John Chester's Connecticut Regiment, signed by two enlistees in June 1776, is expected to make $2,000-$3,000, while a naval boarding helmet from the Revolutionary War/War of 1812 could reach $2,000-$4,000.
With facial recognition and other forensic tests dating it to around 1899, an Annie Oakley original-photo cabinet card is unlike any others that collectors may have seen. "It shows Annie Oakley in what appears to be her house, holding her signature Marlin 1899 lever-action rifle. There are many other guns, bullets, a gunbelt and knife positioned around her. This is almost certainly a unique image never reproduced as a souvenir," said Milestone co-owner Chris Sammet. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000
A prized lot is the very ornate, early 19th-century George III-era silver-mounted presentation flintlock musket marked W. Parker. Parker was a gun maker to His Majesty King George III and renowned for the technical and artistic perfection of his guns. Created for an emir in the Middle East, the musket displays the highest standard of gun design of its period. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000
Milestone's treasure trove includes a long list of Civil War firearm highlights, including an 1865 Spencer Carbine, a Remington 1861 Old Model revolver, Remington Elliot 4-barrel pistol, 1849 Colt pocket revolver, and two Smith carbines, one of them an artillery model. There are several Civil War swords, including a Confederate artillery sword, a cavalry sword, Union foot officer swords, and NCO, naval and musician swords. Additionally, there are numerous ambrotype and tintype images.
A grouping of WWI items pertaining to the celebrated wartime fighter pilot Eddie Rickenbacker includes his engraved pilot's wings, a photo of Rickenbacker in uniform, and other ephemera. Estimate: $3,000-$4,000
A tremendous array of World War II Nazi bayonets, swords and edged weapons, uniforms, helmets, medals, flags and ephemera comes directly from a long-held private collection. Topping the group is a Nazi German Knight's Cross Certificate awarded to Helmut Naumann and dated June 2, 1941. Hand-lettered and illuminated on genuine parchment, it is signed by Adolf Hitler and held in its formal red leather presentation case embossed with a gold-leaf Reichs Eagle. Its estimate is $10,000-$12,000. A framed mini archive contains photographs, mementos and the autograph of Josef "Sepp" Dietrich, Hitler's bodyguard and later commander of the 1st SS Panzer Corps in the Battle of Normandy and 6th Panzer Army during the Battle of the Bulge. The auction estimate is $4,500-$5,500.
Milestone's Saturday, May 26, 2018 Premier Firearms & Military Auction will begin at 10 a.m. ET, with all forms of bidding available, including live online through Milestone's own bidding platform, LiveAuctioneers, AuctionZip, Proxibid, HiBid or Invaluable. Address: 3860 Ben Hur Ave., Unit 8, Willoughby, OH 44094. Enquiries: call 440-527-8060, email [email protected]. www.milestoneauctions.com
Media Contact: Dave Stewart
440-527-8060
[email protected]
SOURCE Milestone Auctions
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