It’s good to be the king. It’s even better, apparently, to own one his blasters. An Elvis Presley owned S&W Model 53 brought nearly $200,000 at Rock Island Auction recently. The engraved revolver highlighted the company’s August Premier Auction that brought more than $21 million in total sales. Long live the king!
Elvis Presley S&W Model 53 Goes for Nearly $200K at Rock Island Auction
Pre-auction estimates predicted Elvis’ wheelgun to snatch somewhere between $60,000-$90,000. But the Elvis fans showed up and showed out, finally dropping the hammer and more than doubling the prognosticators. Final sale totaled $199,750.
“The collectibles market has been experiencing unprecedented growth in several genres,” said RIAC President Kevin Hogan. “When you combine two of those genres, Elvis’ memorabilia and collector firearms, the result is tremendous excitement and high totals at auction.”
The Smith & Wesson Model 53 features a bicentennial them, engraved by Master Engraver Russell Smith, according to Rock Island. The King received the pistol only months before his untimely passing. The revolver’s exceptional craftsmanship and custom engraving set it apart all on its own. But add the provenance to Elvis Presley, and the sale elevated to a major collector’s piece.
Rock Island previously sold other arms previously owned by Elvis. In 2027, an Elvis Colt Python fetched $172,500. A Model 19-2 owned by Presley brought $195,500.
Rock Island firearm auctions topped a staggering $107 million in 2022. A blaster used by Harrison Ford as Han Solo in “Star Wars: A New Hope” sold for $1,057.500.
For more info, please visit rockislandauction.com.