Parker AH, give me a ballpark figure, please!!
 

A friend found this gun for sale, knowing I have an interest in Parkers let me know of its availability. In his opinion, he thought it was in great shape for such an old gun. At this time I have not had the opportunity to handle or examine the gun in person. The PGCA letter doesn't mention ejectors and the Serialization book does not identify it as having ejectors either, however; the gunshop letter says it does have ejectors. Sorry, these are the only pics I have at the moment. Given the sketchy info we've been given, please offer up your opinion on its approximate worth.

Greg, that's one you're going to have to hold in your hands and take a looong time to examine each and every detail. As you know, the Grade 6 guns of that era are some of the most exquisitely finished Parkers ever made. The engraving alone should take your breath away.

These pictures only hint at what the gun might truly be. I don't think anyone can really give you a ballpark estimate with the exception of the Blue Book at this point.





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I have now verified that it is an ejector gun, there is basically no color remaining on the outside, the SSBP does have a small amount of pitting, there is a scratch through the checkering and is visible in the first pic above running on the right side from the back of the safety area to the fleur de lis. I have also found out there is additional provenance to what has been shown.

I fully realize what you're saying Dean, anyone have a Blue Book value?

Let's see... Chicago Exposition gun, handled through Spalding, purchased and used by a Civil War hero named Ambrose! I'd say the provenance we see is worth a great deal. And the "additional" may be even more interesting!

I'd factor all of it into this gun's worth.

No actual figures given for damascus guns,

https://bluebookofgunvalues.com/Subs...duct=1&id=1335

but this may help...

https://bluebookofgunvalues.com/Subs...duct=1&id=1337

Bill

Being an old pigeon shooter, the A grades hold a special place in my heart. Damascus with ejectors is icing on the cake.

Thank you for those links Bill. I went there and registered. I tried to find a link to the values, but the links I tried only took me to offers to buy different iterations of The Blue Book of Gun Values. Is there a way to find a ballpark figure on this gun without waiting for a book to arrive?

copied from the blue book ...

AH 12 ga.

Grading 90% 80% 70% 60%
$40,000 $37,000 $35,000 $32,000

50% 40% 30% 20% 10%
$30,000 $28,000 $25,000 $22,000 $20,000

AH
a scarce gun, extremely decorative and flawlessly executed, Acme steel barrels. Approx. 300 mfg. 10 ga. is very rare in this model.
Add 25%-50% for ejectors, depending on original condition (AHE Model).

Bill

the numbers all slid together from the way I copied it, but you can see the respective values.

This is another great example of a small number of high grade Parkers made up for special expositions & etc. that had loving care lavished on them in terms of engraving, wood, and final finish with grandiose ideas of representing America's Finest Shotgun. Also a great example of the track through the universe of many of them that were sent to such venues, displayed, touted, admired and coveted, and ultimately, returned to Parker Brothers. (Recall and reflect on the checkered past of the "Czar's Gun".

Working in reverse from the items of provenance cited for the gun, Thomas Ambrose was very likely the ultimate purchaser of the gun, AFTER it had been returned to the factory from the NY Exposition, having been sent there AFTER being purchased by Ambrose from Parker and sold to Spalding, whom undoubtedly wanted the choke opened up and/or a specific pellet count boring specified before agreement to purchase. No doubt Ambrose embraced the "customer's always right" axiom, very smart in a purchase of this magnitude!

So far as being an ejector gun, the date of original manufacture as well as the return dates to the factory for subsequent work predate the factory installation of ejectors by Parker by at least 3-4 years. Yes, they could have been retrofit; yes, they could be after market items by Wolfperger & Moran, Josef Singer & etc., but there is no way to tell without an in-hand examination by someone who knows what they are examining.

At this point, the evaluation(s) based on the Blue Book of Gun Values go into the trash can (sorry, Steve!!). In all likelihood this was (and hopefully still is) a spectacular gun, but the 1983 estimate of $30K is, at best, a problematic pipedream. You always have to ask yourself, given the final description(s) of the gun in hand, what would YOU pay for it???

Greg the pictures are not good enough to give a value and I agree with Dean that you will need to closely examine the gun.

As far as value maybe this will help, I have a BHE live bird gun (no safety), 30 inch fine Damascus barrels, no case color but it has floral engraving no big game animals. I value this between $13K and $13.5. The AH/AHE would be proportionately more.