The second of two lots to bring the sale’s top price of $123,000 was this group of three knives, made by Ron Lake and embellished by Barry Lee Hands ($30/50,000).
Review by Madelia Hickman Ring
DENVER, PENN. — Three days. Nearly 1,850 lots. More than $7 million in sales. A sell-through rate of more than 97 percent. These were just some of the statistics from Morphy Auctions’ Firearms and Militaria auction that took place September 10-12.
Dan Morphy did not beat around the bush in his comments, telling Antiques and The Arts Weekly, “The September Firearms Auction outperformed our expectations. It had the largest group of new players in years. It is exciting to see new enthusiasm in this division.”
Two vastly different lots each achieved $123,000, the highest price of the event. The first to reach the high-water mark was a three-position selector factory-original Heckler & Koch MP5 SD machine gun, with matching factory silencer and one original “Made in Germany” magazine. It sold on the first day, about two dozen lots from the start of the sale.
Bidders would wait another 575 lots before another lot made $123,000, but one did — a boxed set of three knives, all made by Ron Lake and embellished by Barry Lee Hands. In excellent condition, gilt pearl inlays, gold borders, multicolored diamonds and etched decoration were among Hands’ embellishments of the set. The knives ranged in size from 4¾ inches to 13-7/8 inches and were stored in a walnut display case with red lining; the set had been in the collection of Frank Brownell.
This three-position selector MP5 SD machine gun by Heckler & Koch was one of two lots — both on the first day of the three-day sale — that earned $123,000, the highest price ($60/80,000)
Historic weapons held their own against modern firepower for the second-highest result as well. A World War II M2 Browning machine gun made by the Savage Arms Company, that was cataloged as “very desirable,” sold within estimate for $73,800, the same price achieved by a cased Colt No. 3 Paterson belt model percussion revolver that had been presented to William Watson. The catalog noted that Watson was a New York City attorney who is documented as representing Samuel Colt in disputes with Patent Arms Manufacturing Co, treasurer and majority shareholder John Ehlers. A presentation plaque on the lid of the case was inscribed “W. Watson / from A.P;” the house speculated the latter might be Andrew Parsons, an influential New Jersey politician who represented Passaic County, home of Colt’s Paterson factory, in the Upper House of the New Jersey Legislature. History to the personal and advanced collection of Dr Jim Watson of Scottsdale, Ariz., further contributed to the gun’s desirability with bidders, who pushed it beyond its high estimate.
A circa 1875 double rifle made by R.B. Rodda & Co., that once belonged to Cal Pappas shot past its $45,000 high estimate to hit $46,740, while a Civil War era Henry Lever action rifle, made by New Haven Arms that was silver plated and engraved, brought $39,360.
This circa 1875 double rifle by R.B. Rodda & Co., was sold together with Cal Pappas’ tools and copies of his self-published books, The British Bore Rifle (2013) and The Double Rifle Primer (2013) It went out for $46,740 ($35/45,000).
For presentation pieces, it would be hard to beat a 500-year-old Japanese katana (sword) that was given to Frank Parker by Prince Kan’in Kotohito, in 1936. Parker was a US Army officer who graduated from the US Military Academy, served in the Spanish American War and in Puerto Rico before returning to teach in a number of schools. After his academic retirement in 1936, he served in a number of posts, including that of assistant chief of staff, head of the Philippine Department and commander of the Eighth Corp Area and Third Army. Kotohito had connections to the Japanese imperial family and was the chief of staff for the Imperial Japanese Army until 1940. The blade, which came in its original wooden box, traded hands at $40,800.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For additional information, 877-968-8880 or www.morphyauctions.com.
