President Teddy Roosevelt's Smith & Wesson #3 Sold at Auction for $910,625

Youtube video of Teddy Roosevelt's Smith & Wesson #3 going for a total of $910,625 ($775,000 before buyers premium) at Rock Island Auction Company on December 9, 2022. The buyers premium is fifteen percent.

Theodore Roosevelt is the president most associated with personal arms and with promoting that Americans should be armed and trained in the use of arms. He became the President after the assassination of President Mckinley, the youngest president in US history. He was an early adopter and user of silencers.

 

The Smith & Wesson #3 was clearly linked to President Theodore Roosevelt. From Rock Island Auction Company:

“Theodore Roosevelt was one of the most beloved and influential men in American history, and having documentation of the shipment makes this gun something incredibly extraordinary and valuable,” said Kevin Hogan, President of Rock Island Auction Company. “This is a crown jewel in fine arms collecting. Not only is it a rare chance to own a presidential firearm, but of a president who embodied the spirit of a nation. You don’t need to look further than Mt. Rushmore to understand his significance.

The Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 revolver is chambered in a .38 Long Colt, the U.S. service cartridge at the time, but scarcely seen in this particular model. Roosevelt’s revolver also has distinct combat target rear sights – both features indicating that this revolver was intended to be carried into the war against Spain. Roosevelt instead famously carried a Colt double action revolver that had been salvaged from the wreckage of the USS Maine battleship, allowing this revolver to remain in excellent condition.

Documentation shows that the revolver was purchased from the descendants of James E. Amos, the bodyguard and valet of President Theodore Roosevelt. Amos was very close to Roosevelt and was by his bedside shortly before he died. He received the revolver as a present from Roosevelt’s wife Edith, after the former president’s death. According to Amos, “…while president, he often went armed. I have in my home now a large revolver that Mr. Roosevelt placed at the side of his bed every night while in the White House. It was given to me by Mrs. Roosevelt after his death." 

The pristine condition of Roosevelt’s Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 revolver reflects the statement that the firearm served as a “nightstand gun.” The revolver would not have been used or exposed to natural elements, preserving its condition. 

Rock Island Auction Company (RIAC) has become the premier auction house for firearms in the world. This is not surprising, as the United States is the premier country for firearms in the world.

President of RIAC, Kevin Hogan believes collectible firearms are greatly undervalued in the United States, compared to other collectables. He cautions, however, that collectible firearms should be purchased to enjoyed, as profits from collectables are never certain.

Opinion:

Collectables are a way to hedge against inflation. With inflation roaring in the United States, smart money seeks ways to preserve value.  If the republic is preserved, ammunition can always be used for recreation. If hard times ensue, there may be more dire uses of the product.

©2022 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch