Gold on serial numbers.
 

After so many people on this site helped me find out facts about my A1 Special I contacted some firms about havingit appraised. Hard to fin an appraiser but compnies that auction said they would look at pictures and give a ball park auction price. There were a few things they brought up that I hope someone here can clarify. I asked what looked off on the gun

Reply from company:

Likely someone tried to lay a gold inlay into the serial numbers but was not an expert in it and did not realize that that is not something that Parker does. It is something we are looking for on a daily basis which helps.

Me
Thank you again. Here is a shot of one of the Invincible Parker guns and the one I have. Different light but the difference is hard to see. I guess I just don't have the right eye or am missing something. I guess I have to get better than I am. See first two photos

Company
Look at how it all does not stay in the lines. The 4 is not the right 4 for parker either, which tells us the inlay was placed on top. Both of the photos I am attaching below are custom gold work first by Pachmayr and the second by an unknown engraver. Please continue your research I do encourage it.

All of the numbers look different to me. Can anyone explain to me the difference? It looks to me like each gun which was engraved by different people used different font and (painted?) put the gold on some

I don’t know about the letters. But, It’s in the auction houses best interest to tell you the correct information. They get paid a percentage based on the hammer price and this dialogue would lower that. I do not think they are trying to deceive you, if that’s your concern?

If something I owned were that valuable I would get multiple opinions and accept the majority.

You apparently did NOT contact Josh Loewensteiner at LionStone Consulting and Guyette and Deeter Auctions.

Josh is the guy I would trust in this, and no other.





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A 16 gauge Invincible, then your gun? The third and fourth pictures don't look like Parker work. The appraiser is wrong, Parker did do gold serial numbers. I won't ask who the appraiser is, because I doubt that you will tell us. Your choice.

Thank you
 

Thank you to everyone. The first is the invicable the second is mine third they said was a PACHMAYR and the third they said was an unknown. But I assumed the unknown was a Parker engraver.

Happy to assist.

Your gun has had some aftermarket gold work and metal finishing done for sure. Ie: the plated sear pin, forend latch and blued screws, rebluing of guard and small parts. But I personally do not think that the serial number is not correct. I would fully expect an A1 to have a gold inlaid serial number on the guard. And though things look a bit inconsistent, that is the nature of how they were done.
Now, it is possible that maybe something had to be reworked and redone when metal was refinished. But that is not to say that it was not gold inlaid originally.