Presentation Colt 1849 Revolver

This heavily embellished cap-and-ball Colt revolver was sold in 2012 at Sotheby’s for a cool $1.2 million.

This revolver, which features deep-relief engraving and gold inlay, is one of six Model 1849s to be embellished in this style. Most of them were given to important politicians. One was gifted to Russia’s Czar Nicholas I. Two others were given to the kings of Sweden and Denmark.

These six presentation guns are so impressive and visually stunning that four of them are held in museum collections. This particular gun is currently housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.