A badge worn by Texas Ranger W. M. "Matt" Cawthon, Sgt. / Texas Rangers - Co. "F" / Fort Fisher, Waco, Texas. Given to Buster Brown, Houston, Texas. Comes with the original signed letter to Buster on Texas Department of Public Safety letterhead. Cawthon's initials W.M. C. are engraved on the back. 1 1/2" Diameter.
Item Dimensions: 1 1/2" Dia.
Lot 1334, Sold $7,200
Old West Auction – Las Vegas - Saturday, June 21, 2025
An exquisite, hand-crafted Native American Brave squash blossom, inspired by the talented Francisco Gomez and meticulously created in 1977 by renowned silversmith Henry Cheyenne. This squash blossom features intricate craftsmanship in sterling 925 silver, with a hand-carved turquoise center stone depicting a warrior’s face, measuring approximately 2 1/4 by 2 1/4 inches. Surrounding this carved centerpiece are Old Bisbee turquoise stones with a matrix of veining, complemented by genuine mountain lion claws. The Naja is adorned with two large, hand-carved ivory pieces
Henry Cheyenne worked in Arizona user Francisco Gomez noted Native jewelry artist and stone carver during the late sixties and early seventies.
Item Dimensions: 16" L.
Lot 1087, Sold $7,800
Old West Auction – Las Vegas - Saturday, June 21, 2025
Clayton's original pair of Colt Single Actions used during the television series. The Lone Ranger and his sidekick Tonto roamed the West righting wrongs and helping the less fortunate. Throughout his adventures, the Lone Ranger always carried nickel-plated Single Action Armies with cream-colored grips and numerous photographs clearly show the 5 1/2" barrels. This lot includes six of the Lone Ranger's silver plated deactivated Remington UMC cartridges. Both Colts are re-nickel plated and feature toned white composition grips, 5 1/2" barrels in .45 caliber. Serial number 58918 was originally manufactured in 1880 and has the old style black powder frame. The original three line patent address is still visible on left side of frame. Barrel legend is no longer visible. The frame and trigger guard have matching numbers while butt number was reapplied. CONDITION: Excellent retaining majority of reapplied nickel finish with some handling marks and muzzle flaking. The ejector housing screw has been replaced. Grips are shy to frame. Four correct clicks. Bore is well defined but shows abrasions. Serial 182982 was manufactured in 1899 and has the smokeless frame. The two line patent legend is still visible on left side of frame. The Colt barrel address is still quite legible. No visible caliber stamp on left side of barrel. CONDITION: Fine. Retains majority of the reapplied nickel but left side of barrel shows some age freckling and surface bubbling. Exhibits all four clicks. Bore is about same as the other. The black powder blanks were hard on rifling. These Colts were used on one of the most iconic television western series of the 20th century.
PROVENANCE: The Estate of Television Producer Jack Wrather
Lot 1051, Sold $29,520
Old West Auction – Las Vegas - Saturday, June 21, 2025
Clayton Moore wore this black mask as the star of the television series The Lone Ranger. The cloth and plastic mask was molded to Moore's face and was part of one of the most iconic costumes in the history of American television. There are variations of the mask with one residing in the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian, one at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame in Waco, Texas and another which was kept for years by the Moore family which was a smaller example of the original. This one stands out because of the direct ties to the televisions series which ran on ABC from 1949 to 1957 and the story behind the Wrather involvement. We believe this is the most important and most iconic of the original masks.
3" x 10 3/4" Outer wool construction with a felt liner and tailored edges. Good condition, the mask shows its age with light staining and light rodent mastication.
PROVENANCE: The Estate of Television Producer Jack Wrather.
Item Dimensions: 3" x 10 3/4".
Lot 1052, Sold $26,400
Old West Auction – Las Vegas - Saturday, June 21, 2025
A belt mounted with seven, 2 3/4" sterling silver conchos with high relief Native Chief faces with full headdress. In the style of the famous Unger Bros. sterling sets. The matching 3" buckle is marked with the Hollywood Classics star and Sterling.
Item Dimensions: 34" L.
Lot 1121, Sold $6,600
Old West Auction – Las Vegas - Saturday, June 21, 2025
A bow case with pink and blue striped beaded design at the top and bottom on Native tanned hide, 32" in length. The attached quiver has matching beaded decoration. The case exhibits a tasseled fringe end. The bow included is of the period and the arrows are correct period also. An early and pleasant example of Northern Plains weaponry and design.
Item Dimensions: 32" L.
Lot 1271, Sold $7,380
Old West Auction – Las Vegas - Saturday, June 21, 2025
Classic styling and prominent in size, these striking Colorado penitentiary spurs measure 7" in overall length with stylized inlaid heelbands, partial drop shanks securing 2 1/4", 12-blunt point rowels and upturned buttons attached to two-piece floral carved leathers. Overall very fine condition with possibly replacement Canon City style inlaid rowels.
Lot 1242, Sold $7,995
Old West Auction – Las Vegas - Saturday, June 21, 2025
The Protector
Oil on canvas
24 x 30 in.
Signed lower left "Till Goodan"
Framed to 30 1/2 x 36 1/2 in.
Item Dimensions: Frame: 30 1/2" x 36 1/2".
Lot 1368, Sold $8,960
Old West Auction – Las Vegas - Saturday, June 21, 2025
A circa late 1890s-1900 headdress of winter ermine, marabou, buffalo horn and beads. The head cap is made teepee material and covered in strips of ermine, with longer pendants and complete pelts suspended at the back. A pair of buffalo horns are each wrapped with blue glass beadwork at the tips and are tied to the center. Slight restoration to ermine at the back. 11" x 9" x 18".
Provenance: EX Chris Selser Collection
Item Dimensions: 11" x 9" x 18".
Lot 1212, Sold $9,000
Old West Auction – Las Vegas - Saturday, June 21, 2025
Looking West
Oil on canvas
40 x 28 in.
Signed lower right "R. Farrington Elwell"
Framed to 46 3/4 x 35 in.
Item Dimensions: Frame: 46 3/4" x 35".
Lot 1213, Sold $11,070
Old West Auction – Las Vegas - Saturday, June 21, 2025
Highly desirable coin silver inlaid catalog Pat #9, double heart spurs, well maker-marked G.S. Garcia inside the 4" heelband of the right spur and ELKO NEV. (Dutch N) inside the left spur. Spurs feature deluxe triple heelchains, 2 3/8" inlaid partial drop shanks with barrel chap guard securing 2", 10-point rowels. Includes distinctive and charming Garcia domed 2 1/4" steerhead conchos. Fine, original condition, circa 1915.
Lot 1241, Sold $10,800
Old West Auction – Las Vegas - Saturday, June 21, 2025
Pony Express Leaving St. Joseph 1861
Oil on board
24 1/4 x 43 in.
Signed lower right "Dunton"
Framed to 28 x 47 in.
Painted board is mounted on heavy board and heavily vanished. Noted in Missouri Valley Special Collections / Kansas City History - Entitled: Pony Express Leaving St. Joseph, 1861" Listed on photograph as No. 3. Date. 1923 (Murals)
Item Dimensions: Frame: 28" x 47".
Lot 1435, Sold $11,070
Old West Auction – Las Vegas - Saturday, June 21, 2025
A circa, middle of the 19th century Upper Missouri Metis or Cree long coat with dyed porcupine quills. Rosettes of quills on the back with wrapped drops. Fringe on the shoulders with quill wraps. Cut in the European military style and decorated overall with floral and vine quillwork in a curvilinear style some of which is worn and some missing. A wonderful fur trade era piece of outerwear popular in the mid-west to the Dakotas. 40" x 23"
Provenance: Oral History has this coat being collected by President Zachary Taylor
Item Dimensions: 40" x 23".
Lot 1197, Sold $11,400
Old West Auction – Las Vegas - Saturday, June 21, 2025
A very scarce lithographed advertisement for "Buffalo Bill's Wild West / Pawnee Bill's Far East". Fabulous colorful pennant shaped poster with a regal Cody in the foreground surrounded by great graphics. Copyright 1910 Litho by Russell - Morgan Print. A very unusual tapered poster. Measures 80" x 24"
Item Dimensions: Frame: 84" x 26 1/2".
Lot 1184, Sold $16,800
Old West Auction – Santa Fe - Saturday, June 21, 2025
An impressive and stunning vest of native-tanned hide fully decorated on the outside with sinew-sewn seed beads in which pictorials sit on a white lazy-stitched ground. The pictorials on the front consist of two mounted warriors with feathered coup sticks, the reverse has two mounted men dressed in full regalia, to include headdresses and coup sticks sitting on blue horses, the top portion having pole mounted American flags. The condition of this vest is one of the best we have seen, 21" x 14" Comes on a custom acrylic and wood stand.
Item Dimensions: 21" x 14".
Lot 1069, Sold $19,200
Old West Auction – Santa Fe - Saturday, June 21, 2025
An important historical document relating the Indian battles in the west. The book is both visual and informative. The White Bull ledger book was created in the late 19th to early 20th century. It was written and drawn by White Bull (nephew of Sitting Bull) and records coups, combats, and winter counts of the Sioux. White Bull claimed to have killed Custer, an although this may or may not be true, the ledger book records battle scenes drawn by White Bull and probably is recording his fight with Custer and many other of his own personal battles. The book is a total of (162) pages, (120) with writing, (33) drawings, (28) blank pages many of which are across from a drawing. It is an intact document, most ledgers have been separated and sold page by page. The book measures 14" x 8 1/2" x 3/4" thick.
Author Mike Cowdrey has written "This Ledger book is White Bull's personal and original biographical account. In terms of Lakota historiography, this volume is comparable in importance to the diaries of Thomas Jefferson – a unique and irreplaceable resource."
White Bull (1849 – 1947) was the nephew of Sitting Bull, and a famous warrior in his own right. White Bull participated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876. After the battle, White Bull joined his uncle, Hunkpapa Sioux leader Sitting Bull, while fleeing to Canada.
Provenance: Morning Star Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Lot 1212, Sold $264,000
Old West Auction – Las Vegas - Friday, January 24, 2025
Considered one of the standout pieces in the entire George Pitman collection, this exquisite two-tone brown floral carved Bohlin / Hollywood sterling and gold parade saddle, custom made for Louise Cottam of Santa Barbara, California, in the late 1930s is a slight variation on the Machris model that debuts in the 1937 Bohlin catalog one page following the "Cottam" saddle named for Louise's husband, Russell. According to Bohlin expert and author, James H. Nottage, "Louise and her husband, Russell both had fine Bohlin outfits which they rode in parades, horse shows and rodeos. Hers, in many ways more elegant, won prizes at the Santa Barbara Fiesta Days, the Bakersfield Frontier Days and other gatherings". The saddle features a figure-eight floral pattern and multiple pictorial carvings including a longhorn on the 14" seat and a beautifully detailed let 'er buck cowboy on the fenders which, according to Nottage, is characteristic of the work of Bohlin leather carver extraordinaire, Gabriel Diaz. The saddle itself is artistically adorned with leaf pattern conchos along the full perimeter interspersed with Bohlinmade silver spots. The entire front and cantle are fully silvered with a twisted rope edged gullet, horn cap with gold bucking horse and cantle cover. The leather saddle strings protrude just below an engraved silver and gold horsehead concho. The skirts and fenders are mounted with intricately engraved silver corner plates with gold vignettes featuring a bucking horse, longhorn, and one depicting Louise showing her horse picking up a lead into a canter and featured in a full page photo on pg 126 of Saddlemaker to the Stars. The elegant 22" Tapaderos are mounted with multiple gold horsehead conchos while the Breast Collar continues the overall silver leaf & silver spot theme but adds a bold central medallion with the name "Louise" in raised gold script above a golden show horse. A second Breast Collar is also included and appears to be of slightly later manufacture (1940s) mounted with round Bohlin horsehead conchos and a different style of Bohlin spots plus a centered three-dimensional gold longhorn concho. The fully matching Bridle continues the leaf and gold horsehead theme and is affixed to a matching bit and ferruled romal reins with adjustable slide. Saddle set includes a brown and white wool Corona Pad plus original cinch. Very fine, 100% original condition, circa 1937-1939 PROVENANCE: EX George Pitman Collection, Rancho Santa Fe, CA PICTURED: James H. Nottage, Saddlemaker to the Stars, The Leather and Silver Art of Edward H. Bohlin, Pgs 126-129 Louise Charlotte Rechner (Cottam) was born May 6, 1907 in Germany and emigrated to the United States in 1918 at age 11 marrying John Russell Cottam in Santa Barbara in 1925 when she was only 18. Louise was an equestrian enthusiast from an early age frequently showcasing her prized horses in shows, parades and rodeos around California. The Cottams has 2 daughters eventually moving to Las Vegas in 1950. Louise passed away in Los Angeles in December of 1980 at age 73
PROVENANCE: EX George Pitman Collection, Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Item Dimensions: Saddle: 33" x 26" x 49 1/2"
Lot 1161, Sold $228,000
Old West Auction – Las Vegas - Friday, January 24, 2025
Inscribed sword-stick cane presented to "Buffalo Bill" on his 45th birthday from his partner and Vice-President Nate Salsbury. The overall length is 38" long. The silver-plated handle is 5" long with a 1 7/8" diameter at the top where there is an ivory inset with a picture of Buffalo Bill wearing a Stetson hat, suit and tie with a cravat. Inscribed around the top rim of the handle "Col. W.F. Cody Buffalo Bill". The handle then tapers to 13/16" at the base. The blade is 27 1/2" long. The ebony sheaf is 33" long with a 7/8" ivory tip at the base. The silver plated rim of the scabbard incribed "From Your Friend Nate Salsbury 26th February 1891" includes silver hallmarks for 1891 and makers name of "George Fox of London". Also inscribed on the handle "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" and "America's National Entertainment" within a banner. Includes scenes of Buffalo Bill on horseback with his rifle along with an indian on horseback and young Bill Cody galloping on his horse depicting his days as an extra hand on a wagon train. Inscribed "1857 Billy Cody the boy messenger at the age of 12".
Lot 1130, Sold $15,600
Old West Auction – Las Vegas - Friday, January 24, 2025
Classic Jesus Tapia (1856-1931) double parrot pattern engraved bit from the coveted early California maker. Large domed conchos with engraved rim above the figural cheeks. 100% original condition with one missing inlay on the slobber bar.
Provenance: Ex George Pitman Collection, Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Item Dimensions: 9" x 5" x 2 - 1/2".
Lot 1242, Sold $13,200
Old West Auction – Santa Fe - Saturday, June 22, 2024
Multicolored pink, green, orange and blue, with flat headband, brow and noseband, multiple natural beige and pink tassels, split reins with American flags. Early glass horsehead rosettes. Attached to inlaid kissing bird bit with severed half-breed. Fine overall condition, one wear spot on the reins. Circa 1910.
Provenance: Ex George Pitman Collection, Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Item Dimensions: 28" L.
Lot 1154, Sold $15,375
Old West Auction – Santa Fe - Saturday, June 22, 2024
