A pair of pistols that belonged to Founding Father Alexander Hamilton are going to be auctioned on May 14th by the Rock Island Auction Company.

The flagship offering of a three-day auction, the pistols may set a world record as the highest priced firearm ever publicly sold.

Both pistols were presented to Hamilton by his father-in-law General Philip Schuyler during the Revolutionary War, and were passed down through the family until sold in 1942.

Hamilton's pistols will be available for bidding May 14th, either by web or by phone.

“These pistols represent Hamilton’s physical ability to wage war on the enemy. They are his physical ability to achieve Revolution and start the Republic,” states RIAC President Kevin Hogan. “However, they also transcend arms specific collecting. They are an American institution in and of themselves, and an intimate way to be a part of the past.”

A lot of surviving items from the Revolutionary War Era are rare, and those with concrete ties are a true prize for collectors of historic objects. Hamilton’s pistols are one of several items of note in the sale, including a pair of revolvers given to Tsar Alexander II, the Colt revolver of Old West gunslinger and lawman Bat Masterson, and the original document of Ulysses S. Grant’s appointment to major general, signed by Abraham Lincoln.

The pistols are estimated to be sold for between $1,000,000 and $3,500,000, a record for firearms.

The pistols of the Hamilton-Burr duel have been owned by Chase Bank since the 1930's," Joel Kolander, RIAC's Interactive Production Manager said. "Interestingly enough, those pistols didn’t even belong to Hamilton."

Get our free mobile app

Are You QC AF? Take The Test.

If you are from the Quad Cities, there are certain things you do and say that folks from outside the area might not understand. Weather you’ve lived here your entire life, or just a couple years, it’s time to put your QC to the test to find out if you are “QC AF”.
Below are 25 questions to test your knowledge and life experience of the Quad Cities. Keep track and see where you rank. Then share it, if you aren’t ashamed, to show how QC you are.

25-20 points – You are QC AF!
19-15 points – Reppin’ the QC strong.
15-10 points – Average. You put the “C” in the QC.
10-5 points – Do you even QC bro.
5-0 points – Move back to Chicago.

More From 94.1 KRNA