Lot 2019

RARE! FACTORY ENGRAVED "BANK OF ITALY" COLT POLICE POSITIVE SPECIAL .38 SPL REVOLVER WITH COLT FACTORY LETTER

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RARE! FACTORY ENGRAVED "BANK OF ITALY" COLT POLICE POSITIVE SPECIAL .38 SPL REVOLVER WITH COLT FACTORY LETTER

left to bid 21d 16h 41m left to bid (Bidding Extended) Lot is closed 21d 16h 41m left to bid Refresh page

Current Bid: $120

(8 Bids)

by Bradford's
June 28, 2026 9:00 AM MST
Timed Auction
15210 N 99th Ave
Sun City, AZ, US 85351

RARE! Factory Engraved "Bank of Italy" Colt Police Positive Special .38 Spl Revolver with Colt Factory Letter. This exceptionally rare Colt Police Positive Special features a factory-engraved "Bank of Italy" inscription on the back strap. It represents a unique piece of history, as Bank of America—originally established as the Bank of Italy—was founded in San Francisco, California, on October 17, 1904. This revolver dates from the earliest era of the Bank of Italy, prior to its renaming as Bank of America in 1930. This revolver also includes B&W photograph of Amadeo Pietro Giannini the founder of Bank of Italy, B&W photograph of Joseph T. Grace who was the vice president of the Bank of Italy, RARE antique $10 1902 Plain Back Fr. 635 Bank of Italy National Trust & Savings Assoc Ch. # 13044 bank note, postcard of the Bank of Italy building in San Fransno, California, 1931 Bank of Italy canceled check, (2) 1929 $10 Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association San Francisco, California Charter # 13044 (Serial numbers are A313306 and E163560A), and a Bank of Italy Christmas Club Savings Pass booklet. Bank of Italy History: The Bank of Italy was established to serve working class citizens of the area, especially Italian Americans living in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. The bank survived the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906, after Amadeo Pietro Giannini saw an approaching fire and relocated the bank assets to San Mateo home using a horse drawn cart. It was one of the first banks to offer loans to businesses to help rebuild the city. The first location of the bank was in Jackson Square starting in 1904. The original building is no longer standing but the location is now the home of the Colombo Building (1909). The Bank of Italy building was opened at the corner of Clay and Montgomery streets in 1908 and later became a National Historic Landmark. Giannini had his office space in an open area on the first floor. In 1909, the bank began opening branches in other cities, beginning with San Jose. It had 24 branches by 1918, at which time it was the first statewide branch banking system. The Bank of Italy merged with the smaller Bank of America, Los Angeles in 1928. In 1930, Giannini changed the name from "Bank of Italy" to "Bank of America." As chairman of the new, larger Bank of America, Giannini continued to expand the bank until his death in 1949. Giannini's life and his many innovations in banking figure prominently in Jim McKelvey, The Innovation Stack (Penguin, 2020). Amadeo Giannini and the Bank of Italy were the basis for the classic 1932 Frank Capra movie American Madness, from the original screenplay Faith by Robert Riskin. Serial Number: 183078 | Caliber / Gauge: .38 S&W Special | Working Order: Firearm has not been tested | Background Check: Required | Keywords: Firearms, Guns, Firearm; Ref: BD3278

  • Provenance: Includes a Colt factory letter. The revolver was apart of 100 guns in the shipment that was shipped to the famous and extremely well known Phil B. Bekeart Company located in San Francisco, California.
  • Dimensions: 5" barrel
  • Circa: 7161
  • Notes: ***FFL Required For All Firearms Manufactured After 1898: Out-of-State Buyers Firearms must be shipped through our 3rd Party Shipper Westside Mail Center and ALL Firearms Manufactured After 1898 must be shipped to a valid holder of a Federal Firearms License. BEFORE PLACING BIDS ON FIREARMS, CHECK YOUR STATE AND COUNTY LAWS TO VERIFY THE FIREARM IS LEGAL IN YOUR STATE. It is the Bidders responsibility to know or verify the legality of a specific Firearm or Magazine prior to placing any bids. FIREARMS UNABLE TO BE SHIPPED TO YOUR STATE WILL RESULT IN A REFUND MINUS A 25% RESTOCKING FEE AND SHIPPING COSTS IF APPLICABLE; Local Arizona Buyers MUST have a Valid ARIZONA ID with a Current Physical Address and MUST complete all necessary background and registration forms at Bradford's Auction Gallery Firearms Manufactured After 1898. ANY DENIED BACKGROUND CHECK WILL RESULT IN A REFUND MINUS A 25% RESTOCKING FEE ****
  • Condition: This revolver is in excellent condition with minimal signs of wear commensurate with light handling and little use. Approx. 90%-95% original finished retained. Light wear to finish on raised edges and on the cylinder. There is light surface freckling in two spots on the cylinder and very light on the backstrap. The bore is bright and shiny with strong rifling. The action and cylinder are crisp and tight, cylinder index perfectly. Please review the photos for details and condition.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

LOCAL PICK-UP INFORMATION:
Buyers can pick-up up their purchased lots locally at Bradford's Auction Gallery or have their items shipped. Local pick up is available upon payment of the invoice. There is no fee for local pickup however, storage fees may apply for items not picked up.

LOCATION: Bradford's Auction Gallery
HOURS: Monday - Friday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
ADDRESS: 15210 N 99th Ave Sun City, AZ 85351
CROSS STREET: (Located at the NW Corner of 99th Ave and Greenway Rd)

OUT OF TOWN SHIPPING INFORMATION:

JEWELRY & COINS:
Domestic Invoices that only contain jewelry or coins will be shipped in-house. Bradford's will ship jewelry and coins domestically via fedex and usps flat rate shipping. A minimum shipping charge of $25 will apply for any items shipped in-house. Any invoices that contain additional items would be turned over to a 3rd party shipper.

ARTWORK & OTHER ITEMS:
For out of town buyers, once we have received your payment your purchase can be be turned over to a 3rd party shipper. Bradford's will automatically release your lots to Westside Mail Center a local 3rd party shipper who specializes in shipping auction lots. Westside Mail Center will reach out to you to arrange packing, shipping and insurance. Please notify Bradford's immediately upon payment of your invoice if you prefer to ship with another 3rd party shipper other than Westside Mail Center.

They offer FedEx, DHL, UPS and USPS services for most parcels. For those larger items, Packing, Shipping, Crating & Freight services are available. For questions related to shipping please feel free to contact them directly for shipping questions or quotes.

Westside Mail Center
13794 W Waddell Rd Suite 203, Surprise, AZ 85379
Phone: 623-825-6016
Email: [email protected]
www.westsidemailcenter.com

SHIPPING TERMS
The winning bidder / buyer is solely responsible for the shipping. All fees and costs associated with shipping are separate from the hammer price (winning bid), buyer's premium and sales taxes. The winning bidder / buyer has the right to arrange their own shipping with a 3rd party shipper at their own expense if you prefer to use a shipper other than Westside Mail Center. All packing and shipping from any company besides Westside Mail Center must be arranged and coordinated by the winning bidder / buyer within 5 days from the date of the sale or an additional storage surcharge could apply. The cost of an item can affect the price of insurance, packaging materials and method of shipping however, shipping costs are based on size, weight, dimension, location, speed as well as other factors. Winning bidders / buyers are responsible for payment of auction invoices regardless of the cost of shipping as the winning bidder / buyer is solely responsible for the shipping and any costs associated. Sales are final and items cannot be returned to Bradford's or refunded due to shipping.

3RD PARTY SHIPPERS
Bradford's can assist the winning bidder / buyer by arranging shipping and insurance through a 3rd party shipper however, the buyer is responsible for obtaining quotes and scheduling pick-up. Bradford's Auction Gallery reserves the right to ship parcels via our own in-house shipping methods, based on actual weight or dimensional weight (whichever is greater).

Bradford's or the designated 3rd party shipper will ship to the address provided on the winning bidder / buyers invoice. It is the winning bidder / buyers responsibility to communicate with the shipper and provide any specific shipping requirements, address information or details that will ensure proper delivery. It is the buyers responsibility to verify and maintain update accurate shipping information including address within their bidding account.

The winning bidder is responsible for understanding the import fees and import laws of their respective province/state/country. It is also the bidder's responsibility to obtain any and all import documentation (import/export licenses, certificates or other documentation) prior to bidding.



LOCAL PICK UP - ARIZONA FIREARMS BUYERS
Arizona residents MUST pick-up in person at Bradford's Auction Gallery with a scheduled date of pick up. Details and information will be included on the winning bidders invoice. Any local Arizona Buyer of Post 1898 firearms MUST complete all necessary registration forms at Bradford's Auction Gallery. Local Buyers MUST have a Valid ARIZONA ID with Current Physical Address. If your Arizona ID does not reflect your current address you MUST provide us with a secondary form of ID that contains your correct address. Arizona Gun Dealers must have a signed copy of their Federal Firearms License in order to accept delivery of modern weapons. ANY DENIED BACKGROUND CHECK WILL RESULT IN A REFUND MINUS A 25% RESTOCKING FEE.

OUT OF TOWN SHIPPING FIREARMS BUYERS:
Shipping for Out-of-State Buyers must be done through our 3rd Party Shipper Westside Mail Center. All firearms Post 1898 must be shipped to a valid holder of a Federal Firearms License on ALL Modern Weapons. The full cost of shipping and packing will be at the winning bidders / buyers expense. It is your responsibility to provide Westside Mail Center with the FFL dealer of your choice and they are responsible for sending the 3rd party shipper a copy of their FFL information. FIREARMS UNABLE TO BE SHIPPED TO YOUR STATE WILL RESULT IN A REFUND MINUS A 25% RESTOCKING FEE AND SHIPPING COSTS IF APPLICABLE.

Bradford's

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $5
$100 $199 $10
$200 $999 $20
$1,000 $4,999 $50
$5,000 $9,999 $100
$10,000 + $200