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Premier auctions of Rock Island Auction Company always contain firearms that once belonged to prominent historical figures. The May 2021 Rock Island Premier Firearms Auction was no exception but it was rather exceptional as a truly unique lot was consigned to it. Lot #125 contained two flintlock pistols and other items that belonged to a founding father – Alexander Hamilton. The May 2021 Premier Auction ended just recently and these artifacts of American history were sold for $1,150,000.
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This pair of pistols was presented to Alexander Hamilton by Major General Philip Schuyler, Alexander Hamilton’s father-in-law, after the Battle of Saratoga (1777). Hamilton was likely carrying these pistols during the Siege of Yorktown (1781), one of the last major battles of the American Revolutionary War. Besides the pistols, the lot also contained Alexander Hamilton’s field service epaulettes which he wore while serving under the command of George Washington.
You can watch the actual process of selling this lot in the following video.
Note: As seen in the video, the lot was sold for one million dollars. The final price of $1,150,000 is formed by adding the 15% buyer’s premium (auction house’s fee) to the hammer price.
You can learn more about these pistols by reading the lot description on Rock Island Auction’s website and watching the below-embedded video.
Overall, the May 2021 Rock Island Premier Firearms Auction was extremely successful. With a $30 million total sum of all prices realized, this auction set a new world record of the largest firearm auction ever held, beating the previous RIAC record of $22 million that was set in December 2020.
Images courtesy of Rock Island Auction Company, www.rockislandauction.com
