Significant and rare ‘Russian Purdey’ sells at Sotheby’s

Significant and rare ‘Russian Purdey’ sells at Sotheby’s

Gavin Gardiner’s first auction of Fine Modern and Vintage Sporting Guns and Rifles this year saw an historically and internationally significant rare ‘Russian Purdey’ sell for £21,600.

The Russian Purdey was presented to British prime minister Harold Macmillan by Russian president Nikita Krushchev, on the occasion of MacMillan’s Historic 1959 state visit to Russia, sell via telephone bid for £21,600 to a collector.



Remaining in a new & unfired condition, and with presentation inscription in a gold plaque, the 12-bore gun was made to Purdey specifications by the Tula State Armoury and carried an estimate of £20,000 to £30,000.

As Gavin Gardiner explained: “The gun was presented to Prime Minister Harold Macmillan by Nikita Krushchev during the historic 1959 visit to Moscow, at the height of the Cold War. It is of superb quality and is exquisitely finished with a presentation gold plaque set in to the stock, and remains unused in its original presentation case. It has been in the family ever since.”



Commenting after the sale, Gavin Gardiner said: “I was extremely pleased to be asked to sell the ‘Russian Purdey’ which had such a wonderful provenance, history and was in such good, unused condition.”

“The sale attracted substantial international interest, and in a difficult and highly selective market, it was the best guns and rifles in good unaltered condition, by the important English, Scottish and European makers, that sold well.”



The auction took place on Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at Sotheby’s, 34-35 New Bond Street, London.