Auction

[K C Muffin]

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A Springfield rifle owned by the famed Apache warrior Geronimo fetched $100,000 during an auction of Wild West guns and weapons that brought in more than $1 million.

Lawman Wyatt Earp's double-barreled shotgun garnered $65,500, while a saber attributed to U.S. Army cavalry commander George Custer sold for $20,315 at the Bonhams & Butterfields auction Tuesday.

Some of the guns were offered by a private collector who spent a lifetime accumulating firearms once carried by some of the most famous and infamous figures in American history, said Paul Carella, director of the company's arms department.

"Obviously, he was like many of us, just intrigued and enamored of the old West," Carella said Wednesday.



At the 800-item auction, buyers also spent $4,183 for a 32-caliber pistol reportedly carried by frontier scout Calamity Jane at her death.

"We achieved some very good prices," Carella said. "I knew those pieces would garner the interest they did, because there are so many people interested in these guys, these folklore legends."

Woulda been nice if they'd let some of the rest of us in on the fun.....not that I'd antied up that much cash..

[TexKan]

That is a bunch of $$ that probably doesn't work, you would never use, AND doesn't have papers (just stories) to authenticate. I think I would rather something else - that sparkels with all that$$

[K C Muffin]

You and me both! There was another story in the Star this morning about a book of notes or minutes or something from the 1800's. Strobel and someone else were trying to get them back. Apparently the auction house was going to pull them off the auction block and give them back as they couldn't authentcate the title to them. Something like that. Good to see DC still can get some news coverage once in a while for something good!