The most important private collection of the rarest Civil War firearms

Dubbed “ the most important private collection of Confederate manufactured firearms ever assembled” was on the block on the 26th and 27th April at Cowan’s Auctions, 6270 Este Ave in Cincinnati. The Cowan’s auction in partnership with John Gangel held an auction of some of the rarest examples of Civil War firearms.

Cliff Young’s notes indicate that this LeMat revolver relic was purportedly unearthed near the banks of the Harpeth River, near Franklin, Tennessee, site of the Battle of Franklin in 1864.

Confederate Spiller & Burr rounded frame percussion revolver, only three are known to exist

Cofer, Dance, Leech and Rigdon, LeMat are just a microscopic part of the vast Cliff and Lynne Young Collection of the rarest and most Confederate Arms assembled over 65 years.

Engraved LeMat Percussion Revolver with LeMat Extension Barrel

Extremely rare Confederate Cofer Third Type Revolver in its original holster as captured by 11th Maine Captain S.H. Merrill.

The auction consisting of 42 lots has been sold in one day while subsequent offerings are being put on the block and will be auctioned in November 2016 and spring 2017.

J. H. Dance & Brothers Navy percussion Confederate revolver without recoil shield

“There are collectors who just buy Confederate revolvers. Cliff went deeper than that. It had to have quality. It had to have historical significance,” Cowan’s director of Historic Firearms and Early Militaria Jack Lewis explained in a statement.

Iconic Confederate carbine, this is the only engraved Robinson Sharps known to exist.

Rigdon & Ansley cartridge conversion revolver in .38RF

Tarpley breech loading carbine identified to Waul’s Texas Legion

The unique, one-of-a-kind model for the LeMat revolver submitted to the U.S. Patent Office for protection against competitors.

Serial No. 2 LeMat Krider Percussion Revolver Used in the Trials of New Orleans and Washington D.C. A total of two of these American-made LeMat’s exist, both sequentially marked. They are known in the literature as “Krider No. 1” and “Krider No. 2” in honor of their manufacturer. Krider No. 1 is curated in the Liege Arms Museum in Belgium. — Serial No. 2 LeMat Krider Percussion Revolver Used in the Trials of New Orleans and Washington D.C. A total of two of these American-made LeMat’s existing, both sequentially marked. They are known in the literature as “Krider No. 1” and “Krider No. 2” in honor of their manufacturer. Krider No. 1 is curated in the Liege Arms Museum in Belgium.

Young who passed away last year was a long-time member and past President and of the American Society of Arms Collectors, well respected and an avid collector of American Civil War guns.

“Some of them have a file of provenance two-feet thick,” said Lewis “These are truly the best-known examples of some of the rarest Confederate weapons ever produced.”

To see the rest of the collection and estimated prices check the official site at Cowan’s Auction.

All Photos by Cowan