THE COLLECTOR
Dear Collector,
The gun pictured is a .38 caliber Colt revolver referred to as the “Lightning”; said to be the type of pistol carried by “Billy the Kid.” Can you please tell me its worth?
Colt’s first double-action pistol, the Model 1877, was also available in .41 caliber, which was marketed as the “Thunderer.” The Kid (born William Henry McCarty, birthplace unknown) used a number of weapons, including shotgun and rifle, during his short violent life. Research shows that he may have at one time or another carried both a Lightning and Thunderer, though not at the same time. Depending on condition, barrel length and age (which can be determined by serial number, which you did not provide), your revolver’s value is between $300 and $3,000.
Dear Collector,
Could you give me an idea how much this 1797 penny is worth?
Interestingly enough, this large copper coin, though commonly called a penny, is legally a one-cent piece. In fact, we’ve never had the penny as a monetary unit. That term must be a holdover from Colonial days. Anyway, your enclosed photo shows only the head’s (obverse) side of the coin, which means that I can only give you a very rough approximation of its worth. Range of value is between $100 and $300.
Dear Collector,
A friend suggested that this old vase was made in the USSR because it is marked with crossed hammers. Is he right?
Made three or four decades prior to the Revolution of 1917, when Communism was established in the former Russian Empire, your delicate porcelain vase comes from Fischer & Meig, located in Pirkenhammer (hence the hammer motif), Bohemia.
Dear Collector,
I know that Wagner made cast-iron skillets and pans, but didn’t know they made slotted spoons like the one in this picture that belonged to my mother and perhaps her mother, too.
Listed in one major price guide as a cake or egg beater, your circa 1920s aluminum utensil has a current price of about $50.
Dear Collector,
My mother inadvertently saved this “Brain Boy” comic book by packing it away with some unused Christmas ornaments. Since it’s in near perfect condition, is it worth a lot?
Brain Boy (in reality anthropology student Matt Price, a powerful telepath), first appeared in 1962. After a run of only a few issues, publisher Dell dropped this title, resurrecting it the next year, again for only several months. Your copy looks to be in very good shape, which puts it at nearly $100.
Dear Collector,
Hope you can make out this worn foreign money in these photos. Can you tell me where the note is from, and if it’s worth anything?
Even though your Banco Nacional Ultramarino five patacas note (currency of Macao, formerly a possession of Portugal) is in relatively poor condition, it’s still rare enough to be possibly worth $75.
Dear Collector,
Why do antique dealers always tell you that a “little old lady” sold them the item you’re interested in?
Maybe it’s the truth.