All That Glitters is Not Gold

“All that glitters is not gold” is a phrase that has been used by everyone from Shakespeare to Neil Young. Had either of them been at Brian Lebel’s Old West Events Auction in Santa Fe on June 22, they would have found that to be true. With silver, brass and polished steel artifacts at the auction, there was plenty of glitter (even a little gold) to attract bidders.

The main attraction was an unusual Edward Bohlin Walt Disney saddle. Overwhelmingly silver-mounted, it did have some gold details, including an image of Mickey Mouse wearing a cowboy hat above Walt Disney’s signature. Made by Bohlin for Disney’s friend Justin Dart, the ornately decorated saddle fetched a bid of $307,500. Another Bohlin silver inlaid parade saddle, with gun belt and gauntlets, sold for $92,250. One of Bohlin’s biggest competitors was Frank Coenen. A silver-mounted parade saddle made by him and used in Pasadena’s Tournament of Roses Parade, sold for $153,750. Both Bohlin and Coenen came from Scan-dinavia, a region known for its workmanship in silver.

Linking legendary saddlemaker Edward Bohlin with maker of legends Walt Disney, this saddle brought the highest price at Brian Lebel’s Old West Events Auction. Its silver and gold conchos include symbols and animals from the West, but the centerpiece, on the pommel, was Disney’s most famous creation, Mickey Mouse. All Images Courtesy Morphy Auctions

Scandinavia was also known for its blacksmithing. The Qualey Brothers, the sons of a Norwegian blacksmith who emigrated to Idaho, began making spurs in 1920. A pair of silver overlaid spurs made by them captured $25,830. Spurs always fetch top prices at the Lebel auctions. A pair of polished Spanish colonial-style spurs, made in the latter 19th century by Jose Tapia, sold for $34,440. Another pair of engraved silver spurs, made by Jesus Tapia sometime between 1915 and 1920, brought $67,650.

The Model 1860 Henry rifle is legendary because of its use in the American West. Engraved by master engraver Samuel Hoggson and bearing a lovely walnut stock, this Henry adds beauty to the legend.

Made in the early 20th century by Jesus Tapia, these spurs make use of highly decorative silver, with delicate floral inlays. Of more than 55 spurs in the auction, these commanded the highest price.

Celebrities associated with Western movies are always represented at the Lebel auctions. A nicely decorated and silver-mounted gun rig with two Colt revolvers, made for stuntman Ray “Crash” Corrigan by Edward Bohlin, sold for $20,910. But it was blued steel and a story from the true West that attracted bidders to a Colt Army revolver with pearl grips. This well-documented and attractive firearm, used by one of the Daltons during the infamous Coffeyville robbery, “stole” a high bid of $233,700. Another eye-catching firearm, a Model 1860 Henry rifle with an engraved brass frame and a rare walnut stock, sold for $29,520.

Ray “Crash” Corrigan starred in B-Westerns in the 1930s and ’40s. His ranch in California was also used to film Western movies and television shows. This gun rig and revolvers were decorated with silver by Bohlin and worn by Corrigan around his ranch when he staged Western-themed entertainment for visitors.

The story goes that the Daltons ordered and received delivery of 10 brand new revolvers to use in their ill-fated effort to rob Coffeyville. This Colt Army, in excellent condition with blued steel and pearl grips, was one of those pistols.

Many auction companies offer Western artifacts, with most concentrating on fine art and firearms. Brian Lebel’s Old West sales are uniquely diverse, offering collectors objects of many types, all representing both the true and the mythical West. And, as this latest auction demonstrated, that includes a fair amount of glitter, even some gold.