Lot 1081

Johnny Baker Gold Inlaid Colt New Army & Navy Revolver

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Johnny Baker Gold Inlaid Colt New Army & Navy Revolver

Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000

Starting Bid: $25,000

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
August 22, 2026 9:00 AM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Historic, Important, and Excellent Well-Documented Antique Colt New Army & Navy Double Action Revolver with Factory Engraved Gold Inlaid Presentation Monogram "JHB" Initials of Showman and Exhibition Sharpshooter "Cowboy Kid" Johnny Baker of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, Regarded as the "Foster Son" of Buffalo Bill Cody, Ivory Grips, Presentation Case, Factory Letter, and R.L. Wilson Letter This is a spectacular example of a rare presentation cased Colt New Army & Navy revolver with factory ivory grips and factory engraved gold inlaid fancy presentation monogram initials of showman and exhibition sharpshooter Lewis H. Baker Jr., more well known as Johnny Baker or the "Cowboy Kid" of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Baker's gravestone boldly reads "FOSTER SON OF/COL WILLIAM F CODY (BUFFALO BILL)/'JOHNNY' BAKER/JANUARY 13 1869/APRIL 22 1931". Although Buffalo Bill Cody never officially adopted Baker, he nevertheless was referred to as such and was taken under Cody's wing and traveled, studied and worked under him from the young age of 7 years old. Johnny Baker became the sharpshooter star of the show, later manager and booker worldwide for the show until Buffalo Bill Cody's death in 1917. In 1921, Baker founded what is today known as the Buffalo Bill Memorial Museum at the site of Buffalo Bill Cody's grave in Colorado and was the caretaker of it along with the artifacts until his death in 1931. The accompanying factory letter lists this revolver as the sole gun of its type in a shipment on April 22, 1895, to individual J.H. Mayer at an unlisted address, with factory engraved inlaid monogram initials "JHB" on the right side of the frame, in .38 caliber with a 6 inch barrel, ivory grips, and type of finish not listed. This exact revolver is pictured on page 321 of "Colt Engraving" by R.L. Wilson with the author's caption stating Johnny Baker of Buffalo Bill's Wild West was the owner and further lists the address of the shipment to J.H. Mayer being in Port Jefferson, New York. The caption further states, "Also in this shipment was Buffalo Bill's gold inlaid and deluxe engraved Single Action Army Target revolver, serial number 161328. The Baker revolver is finished in a rich, deep, dark blue. Baker was a highly popular cowboy star with Buffalo Bill for many years, and was treated by Cody as a son. The casing is rare, and Colt factory of the period." This revolver, serial number 15475, is also pictured on page 323 of the aforementioned book alongside another example, serial number 76809, with similar factory engraved gold inlaid presentation monogram initials. It is also pictured on page 378 and mentioned on page 465 of R.L. Wilson's book "The Colt Engraving Book: Volume I". The factory engraved gold inlaid "JHB" monogram initials are mentioned by Wilson to be the work of Colt Factory Engraver Cuno Helfricht. This revolver is also pictured on page 302 of R.L. Wilson's book "The Peacemakers". This revolver is also pictured on page 227 of "Buffalo Bill's Wild West, An American Legend" by R.L. Wilson and page 228 sums up the life of "Johnny Baker: Trick Shot and Cody's Foster Son" stating, "No stranger to the cinema and Buffalo Bill's most loyal friend and partisan, Johnny Baker was still with Cody's show in 1916, some thirty-three years after first appearing as the Cowboy Kid. Baker's career paralleled the history of Buffalo Bill's Wild West. Nearing old age, Baker's life story was prepared by the old performer himself. The biography began with his birthday, January 13, 1869, at North Platte, Nebraska: When Buffalo Bill moved with his family back to the little western town of North Platte in 1876... I got my first glimpse of this famous frontiersman [. He] became my idol and I soon was on friendly terms with him. He had just lost his own little son who was just my age, 7 years, so from then on I was a member of the Cody family. I attended school with his daughter [Orra] until 1883 when the Wild West show was organized. Buffalo Bill took me with the show, and for the next 35 years I was with the show continually. During that long period of time I missed only 9 performances... I was considered an expert marksmen at the age of 14 years [, having] won the Boys championship at the age of 12. 1888 Defeated a Mr. Vandergrift 3 straight matches at clay birds, making a score of 100 straight double rise, and 98 and 97 single rise. 1891 at Hamburg Germany broke 1000 flying objects out of 1016 shots fired. Have appeared before the public in shooting exhibitions 12,600 times and have used in these exhibitions over a million rounds of ammunition. In 1917 a horse fell with me during parade and I was forced to retire from active work... Have appeared before about all the crowned heads of Europe and have been presented to many of them, including Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George, Queen Alexandria, the Kings of Saxony, Denmark, Belgium, (not the present King Albert), Serbia, the [Shah] of Persia, Franz Joseph, The Czarina of Austria, The President of France, The King of Italy and Royal family etc., etc. Also the present Prince of Wales and Prince George, his brother." A period photograph in the book shows Johnny Baker at a club in Paris performing a trick shooting demonstration firing two handguns while upside down and states he was known in France as "Petit Jean." The New Army & New Navy revolvers were some of the first Colt revolvers to have a swing out cylinder. This revolver has a standard rifled barrel marked on top with the Colt Hartford address and patent dates ending in 1888 and the left has "COLT. D.A. 38" and the bottom has a small "38" caliber marking. The full serial number "15745" is marked on the butt of the frame, assembly number "973" is marked on the frame, cylinder crane, and cylinder latch, and matching "73" is on the concealed rear of the cylinder. Includes a leather presentation case with felt lined fitted interior, a sealed period .38 Long Colt U.M.C. ammunition box, binder full of extensive documentation related to the revolver and Johnny Baker and a letter from R.L. Wilson that states this revolver is listed in factory records confirming its configuration when shipped "together with elaborately cased Colt .44 Bisley Special Target Single Action gold inlaid 'Col. W.F. Cody/Buffalo Bill'". R.L. Wilson further states, "Note that Nate Salsbury, Buffalo Bill's business manager and partner in the Wild West, owned a New Army and Navy revolver, also with gold inlaid monogram (serial no. 14669). That revolver, like Baker's, was also made up as a cased set. It appears that Cody, Salsbury and Baker all wanted to have deluxe Colts built simultaneously, and ordered them accordingly."

Manufacturer: Colt

Model: New Army & Navy

BBL: 6 inch round

Gauge: 38 Long Colt

Finish: blue/gold

Grips: ivory

Serial Number15475

Class: Antique

  • Provenance: Johnny Baker of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show; The David S. Woloch Collection; The Michael Del Castello Collection; The George S. Lewis Jr. Collection; A Private Collection
  • Condition: Excellent, retains virtually all of the bright original gold inlay, 95% plus bright original high polish blue finish, with some brown freckling on the backstrap, and sharp engraving in the monogram. The grips are also excellent, with well-defined edges, a few very small age lines on the butts, minimal handling evidence, and attractive grain. Mechanically excellent. The presentation case is very good, with general age related wear. The ammunition box is fine. A truly historic and highly attractive factory engraved gold inlaid initialed Colt New Army & Navy revolver made for a very prominent Wild West showman and exhibition sharpshooter regarded as the "foster son" of Buffalo Bill Cody: the "Cowboy Kid" Johnny Baker.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000