(GunReports.com) — A New Hampshire company plans to auction Bonnie and Clyde memorabilia in September that includes a Colt .38-caliber revolver that Bonnie Parker taped to her inner thigh as well as the .45-caliber pistol that Barrow kept in his waistband.
Each weapon could bring between $100,000 and $200,000, said said Bobby Livingston, vice president of RR Auction in Amherst, N.H.
On May 23, 1934, celebrity bank robbers Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker stopped their stolen Ford V-8 on a rural road near Gibsland, La. Inside the vehicle were an arsenal of weapons and other items. It was 9:15 a.m. according to Barrow’s Elgin pocket watch.
At that time, a posse of six led by Frank Hamer fired off 130 rounds, putting 17 holes in Barrow and 26 in Parker.
The watch survived, along with Bonnie’s cosmetic case and a letter Clyde wrote to his brother.
They’re being auctioned Sept. 30 in New Hampshire. Officials hope to get $50,000 to $100,000 for the watch. The artifacts come mainly from the estate of a Texas collector, and some items are from the estate of Barrow’s sister, Marie.
In January, a submachine gun and shotgun reportedly seized at one of Bonnie and Clyde’s hideouts was sold by a Kansas City auction firm for $130,000 and $80,000, respectively.
Bonnie and Clyde went on a crime spree in 1932 that lasted 21 months during the height of the Great Depression, according to Britannica.com. They robbed small-town banks and gas stations throughout the Southwest. According to the FBI’s website, Barrow murdered at least 12 people, but Parker “probably never fired a shot.”
Parker’s Colt Detective Special is blued with a 2″ barrel having a 1926 patent date. It is chambered for the .38 Special cartridge and has its normal butt checkered walnut grips that were introduced in 1933. The revolver is in fine mechanical condition with about 70% original blue blending with plain patina. All factory markings are in excellent condition. The grips show moderate wear and rate good condition. Provenance starts with Bonnie Parker, then Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, Special Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, Jr., Raymond Brown Collection, Tom Keilman Auctioneers, 1986.
Barrow’s pistol is a standard U.S. Army pistol of World War I vintage, #164070, cal. .45 ACP, and according to the included Colt factory letter was delivered to Springfield Armory on June 28, 1917. The frame marked with inspector Gilbert H. Stewart’s circular stamp and the forward left side of the frame has light scratches where the “U.S. Property” marking was removed. The barrel has a good bore and is inscribed with an intertwined “HP” proofmark. The metal is not pitted and has an attractive gray/brown patina with a good deal of original bright factory blue on the left side of the frame and on the small parts. All of the factory markings are in excellent condition and the ‘double diamond’ walnut grips show moderate wear. Provenance starts at U.S. Armory at Springfield, then to any numerous National Guard Armories burglarized by Bonnie and Clyde, then Clyde Barrow, Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, Special Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, Jr., The Raymond Brown Collection, and Tom Keilman Auctioneers, 1986.
