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| News Article |
| Bunker Hill gun blasts past presale high to $492,000 |
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| DENVER, Pa. — Morphy Auctions has sold the Dutch flintlock musket that fired the first shot at the 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill for $492,000. Arguably the most significant, positively identified Revolutionary War long arm in existence, the .79-caliber gun was originally the property of Private John Simpson (1748-1825) of Deerfield, N.H., and had remained in his family by direct descent for the past 244 years.
As history recounts, Simpson fired an unauthorized first shot as the Redcoats advanced on Breed’s Hill (erroneously reported as Bunker Hill) against the order of Colonel William Prescott, who instructed colonial troops, “Don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes!”
“The Simpson gun symbolizes one of the most important battles leading to American independence and came to auction with impeccable family provenance and supportive documentation,” said Morphy Auctions’ founder and president, Dan Morphy. “Bidders knew there was no question about this famous gun’s background and authenticity.”
The buyer’s identity has not yet been released.
For more information visit www.morphyauctions.com |
| 11/1/2019 |
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