It was only after I found Charles Pate’s article regarding markings on Model 1860 Colt Army revolvers that I realized that the cartouche on both grips were ‘JT’ for John Taylor.
The serial number on this '60 Army is 92346 that falls within John Taylor's inspection range.
JT John Taylor 11654 - 143846.
Mfg'd in early 1863.
The Naval cylinder scene.
W.L Ormsby created various scenes on Colt cylinders.
He was a big part of Colt's history.
The Naval scene was found on the cylinders of '51 and '61 Navies and '60 Colt Armies.
Concurrent with Colts new arms venture in the late 1840s W. L. Ormsby had begun developing his anti-counterfeiting schemes involving unique, engraved images. These ideas would come to closely support the patents that Colt had actively protected since 1835.
Not as clear as they could be but I think that both cartouches are 'JT'.
From Charles Cate's article.
J.T for John Taylor.
The markings on the '58 New Model Remington Army and the '60 Colt Army revolver are very different.
A .44 caliber cartridge for the Remington and Colt Army revolvers.
(This does not belong to me.)
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C.W. skin (treated paper) cartridges.
The J&D patent (#33,393 - October 1, 1861) was issued for "an improvement in envelopes for cartridges" and the cartridges made under this patent were officially called "Johnson and Dow's Combustible and Water Proof Cartridges".
The patent calls for a cartridge case of gun-cotton, paper, cloth or other fabric or texture treated with any nitrate and an oxygenating salt to make it "highly inflammable and instantly combustible"...
The finished cartridge was dipped in collodion (also highly inflammable) to make it waterproof.
In addition to the durability of these cartridges, tests and actual field use indicated that the cartridges were easier to load, since no tearing was required and the whole cartridge was simply placed in the bore. One regimental commander later wrote that the regiment adjacent to his on the firing line had been equipped with J&D cartridges and were able to fire three shots for every two of his own regiment.
The first J&D cartridges for .58 cal rifle musket were ordered by the Federal government on March 24, 1862. Cartridges using the J&D patent were also produced by Elam O. Potter in both rifle musket and revolver calibers.
Julius Hotchkiss patented the skin cartridge, which D.C. Sage (and a few others) manufactured; again waterproof by the nature of the skin. Again the power of the percussion cap penetrates the skin and ignites the powder. Some of the .44 cal. Army packets were labelled “Waterproof Skin Cartridges.”
The patented cartridge by Doctors Doremus and Budd had a powder envelope formed by pressing the powder into molds under high tonnage, attaching them to bullets, and then dipping them into collodion, which waterproofed them, is extremely flammable and easily ignited with a percussion cap.
The combustible cartridges allowed quickness in loading, firing and being waterproof, became useful in the field. You didn’t need good teeth to tear them open and unnecessary handling.
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This old warrior was manufactured in early 1862---and she looks like she paid her dues.
Many of the markings have worn off or are very faint.
David
