Rock Island Auction Company unveils the historic Winchester
Model 1886 'Marshfield Find' at its August Premier Auction
BEDFORD,
Texas, Aug. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rock
Island Auction Company (RIAC), the world's premier firearms auction
house, is offering an extraordinary discovery in Winchester
collecting during its August Premier Auction, Aug. 23-25, in Bedford,
TX. The three-day auction will showcase a near perfectly
preserved Winchester Model 1886 rifle. The rifle, still packed in
its original shipping crate with its ammunition and original
scabbard, was untouched for nearly 90 years when it was discovered
in a Marshfield, Mass. attic in
the 1970's. The auction house has dubbed this rifle "The Marshfield
Find" and has set a pre-auction estimate of $150,000 - $275,000.
"I've never seen anything like it. It's a living time capsule,"
says Kevin Hogan, President of Rock
Island Auction Company. "Uncovering something this pristine is a
dream come true for any collector. This auction will be the first
time it's been out of the family in 140 years, so it's never been
photographed before, never been in a book, never been sold, but all
that will change very soon. Collectors will be talking about this
for years to come."
The Marshfield Find's story begins in Marshfield, Mass., where a nearly perfectly
preserved Winchester Model 1886 rifle lay hidden for decades in a
colonial-era home built around 1660. This historic house, described
as a "block house" from King
Philip's War, became part of a 200-acre farm purchased in
1872 by Henry W. Nelson. Upon
Nelson's death in 1897, the farm and its historic home were passed
to his son, Reverend Henry W. Nelson,
Jr.
In the 1970s, the reverend's great-grandsons discovered the
rifle sealed in its original crate in the attic, complete with
accessories and packing materials. Untouched for nearly 90 years,
the rifle survived in a condition that can only be described as
miraculous. This extraordinary item comes with a factory letter,
the original shipping crate, original scabbard and five boxes of
ammunition.
The Marshfield Find's extraordinary condition and provenance
make it a highlight of Rock Island Auction Company's upcoming sale.
This firearm is among over 1,800 other historic and rare items
featured at RIAC's August Premier Auction. Collectors can view
these remarkable objects at RIAC's full-day preview event on
Thursday, Aug. 22, starting at
10 a.m. CT.
For additional information on Rock Island Auction Company and
other highlights of the August event, visit:
www.rockislandauction.com.
About Rock Island Auction Company:
Rock Island Auction
Company is the world's no. 1 auction company for firearms, bladed
weapons and militaria. Founded in 1993 by its current CEO
Patrick Hogan, RIAC continues to
lead the industry with record sales numbers and its extensive and
well-crafted marketing efforts. The company's 150,000 square-foot
Illinois campus consists of two
buildings and serves as the company's hub for catalog and content
production. The 90,000 square-foot Bedford facility opened in December 2023 and will host six of the company's
18+ auctions each year. RIAC actively seeks consignments, be it a
single weapon or a collection of hundreds, an item valued at
$1,000 or $1
million.
Media Contact:
Mattie Van
Gundy
(713) 409-1835
381291@email4pr.com
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SOURCE Rock Island Auction Company