Exceptionally Rare .44 Colt Army Ammunition Packet – Sage Ammunition Works (S.A.W.)
Z9106 Exceptionally Rare .44 Colt Army Ammunition Packet – Sage Ammunition Works (S.A.W.)
Description: Offered here is an exceptionally rare and published packet of .44 Colt Army revolver ammunition, manufactured by the Sage Ammunition Works (S.A.W.) of Middletown, Connecticut. This is the only known type of Civil War-era revolver ammunition to bear a Sage Ammunition Works label, dating from 1864–1865. The cartridges were manufactured under Julius Hotchkiss’s February 11, 1862, patent, which covered improvements in skin (combustible) cartridge construction.
This example remains in decent overall condition. It features a wooden block with seven open holes—six for cartridges and one for percussion caps—wrapped in buff-colored paper with light soiling. The original, black-printed label remains fully legible, though there is a tear in the paper on the front. A second tear is present at the upper left edge near the pull string, a typical point of stress. The packet is otherwise intact, has been wrapped for protection, and retains author Terry White’s original inventory sticker on the reverse. A digital x-ray image of the packet and its contents is included for reference.
Importantly, this is the exact packet illustrated in both Round Ball to Rimfire and Percussion Ammunition Packets by Malloy, Thomas, and White. It originates from the personal collection of author and historian Terry White.
Ammunition from the Sage Ammunition Works is exceedingly rare for several reasons. By late 1864, most U.S. manufacturers were transitioning to metallic cartridges, rendering paper cartridges nearly obsolete. Furthermore, Sage was not formally organized until October 29, 1864—barely six months before the end of the Civil War on April 9, 1865—leaving little time to develop, produce, and distribute ammunition. As Dean Thomas notes:
"The Sage Ammunition Works… also produced some .44 cal. Hotchkiss patent skin cartridges, but there is no record in the ‘Registers of Proposals’ that these, now rare, packets of cartridges were offered to the Ordnance Office.”
This packet represents an important and exceedingly scarce example of late-war ammunition production and is considered the final known iteration of combustible cartridge packaging produced by Sage Ammunition Works. A standout piece for any advanced Civil War arms or ammunition collection.
Measures: 3.6” x 1.8” x .59”
Reference: "Percussion Ammunition Packets: Union, Confederate & European” Malloy, Thomas & White Pg. 44, Figure 178. (Exact Item Published)
Reference: "Round Ball to Rimfire” Thomas, Vol. 3, Pg. 139, No. 905 (Exact Item Published)
Recovered: Ex. Terry White Collection
Price: $1,650.00 UPS Shipping Required
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