As Elmer Keith said in his book title, "Hell, I was there.". In the fifties and sixties, there were many gunsmiths who had little expectation of knowledge in their customers. The truth was that the gunsmiths were not even as bright as their dullest customers. These faked up guns didn't sell for any more than the original Damascus iteration, $75.00 to $100.00. All that work for little or no profit. At least the gun in question was partially brought back without any damage to the barrels except the rib legend. Any fool, 1955 or 2021, could see that the "Titanic" stamp is a sloppy fake job, not from the factory. In the pre Johnson days, none of these faked up guns fooled anyone. I don't know where they are today, but in 1960, they were a dime a dozen and for sale at every gun show. Usually, a nice clean example would be offered for $100 to $125. I doubt that the gun would actually change hands for that much cash. A nice, clean, original Vulcan steel VH 12 would sell for about $125 also. Where is the profit for the faker after all that effort?

Here are a couple of 12 ga DHEs in “excellent condition” offered for sale in Shotgun News, September 1968. $875 in 1968 equates to $6,723 today. Always interesting to see what these fine old guns listed for back in the day.

Very interesting blurb on that CHE Double Trap.
There were only 3 known to have been made with those features especially the 30” barrels. When mine turned up in 2003 it became the 4th known (230760) in that configuration. I sold mine in 2007 for exactly 10x the asking price in this 1968 ad.





.

Did you report the gains on your taxes that year ya never know whos watching

In 1968 $25 would have been the equivalent of 8 hours pay for many in the middle class.

I have a GH Parker with a faked rib stamping as well. I ordered it using cabelas points so I have no actual money into the gun, and it fit well so I kept it. Mine letters to 1891 and was originally damascus steel. I don’t know when but it was sleeved, restocked and re-case hardened the receiver. They also ground off damascus and engraved “spec steel” it’s a good shooter but that’s about it.

It is a lot easier for me to come up with $8500 today than it would have been to come up with $850 in 1968. In early 1972 I got a $500 signature loan at the credit union to buy a gun.

That "Parker Special Steel" marking is really nice. I don't know what else to say except that we would like to see some pictures of the rest of the gun, monobloc line, barrel flat, serial number. Is it really Damascus?

The barrels are sleeved so no damascus pattern, under heavy magnification you can see the pattern on the monoblock. Serial number is 59909 and my Parker letter says damascus.

Sure did!




.