ROCK ISLAND, Ill., Dec. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Rock Island Auction Company (RIAC), the No. 1 firearms auction house in the world, reports record-breaking sales of more than $121 million for the first time in company history. With a total of 21 auctions in the last 12 months, RIAC hosted the four largest firearms auctions ever, including December 2020 ($22 million), May 2021 ($30 million), September 2021 ($24 million), and December 2021 ($25.2 million).
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Courtesy of Rock Island Auction Company
Rock Island Auction Company is recognized as the premier firearms auction house in the world for collectors at every level. Having developed multiple platforms to view and/or bid on these unique pieces of art, this year alone RIAC drew bidders from 26 different countries, all 50 states as well as bidders from the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.
"Every year we continue to see more people express interest in collecting historic firearms. People are seeing the value behind investing in a piece of history and are realizing that art doesn’t just hang on the wall," said Kevin Hogan, President of Rock Island Auction Company. "This year was a milestone for our brand, with more than 30,000 firearms and related items selling. In the last 12 months, we had two items sell for more than $1 million and another sell for more than $2 million, which was the Napoleon Garniture that sold in December’s Premier Auction."
The company’s legacy and expertise in the industry has led it to present some of the finest collector arms publicly available. In May 2021, Rock Island Auction Company hosted the largest firearms auction ever held, with $30 million in realized sales. In December 2021, Rock Island Auction Company’s final Premier Auction event of the calendar year presented the Napoleon Garniture, a stunning and historic six-piece collection, which sold to a phone bidder for $2.875 million, capping a year that saw more than 50 pieces achieve six-figure price tags.
Top highlights throughout the 2021 year include:
- Napoleon Presentation Garniture of Six Arms ($2,875,000; December 2021)
- Alexander Hamilton’s Flintlock Holster Pistols and Epaulettes ($1,150,000; May 2021)
- L.D. Nimschke Engraved Solid Silver Winchester Model 1866 Rifle ($977,500; December 2021)
- Jack Crawford & James Barton Adams Presentation Winchester 1873 ($718,750; September 2021)
- J. Ulrich Exhibition Relief Engraved Winchester Model 1873 Rifle ($718,750; May 2021)
- One of One Hundred Winchester Model 1876 Lever Action Rifle ($690,000; September 2021)
- Confederate Columbus Arsenal Bronze 9-Pounder ($661,250; May 2021)
- Bat Masterson’s Colt Single Action Army Revolver and Holster Rig ($488,750; May 2021)
- Presentation Pair of Engraved Remington New Model Army Revolvers ($460,000; May 2021)
- Crystal Palace Exhibition Gastinne-Renette Percussion Pistols ($345,000; September 2021)
- 1911 Production Serial Number 9 Colt Model 1911 Pistol ($322,000; May 2021)
- Colt No. 5 Squareback Model Texas Paterson Revolver ($431,250; December 2021)
- Colt Single Action Army Revolver Owned by General Emory Upton ($345,000; December 2021)
For more information, visit Rock Island Auction Company’s End of the Year Highlights
About Rock Island Auction Company
Rock Island Auction Company is the world’s #1 auction company for firearms, bladed weapons and militaria. Founded in 1993 by its current CEO Patrick Hogan, RIAC continues to lead the industry with record sales numbers and their extensive and beautiful marketing efforts. Their 150,000 square foot campus consists of two buildings and hosts around 18+ auctions each year. They actively seek consignments, be it a single weapon or a collection of hundreds, a thousand-dollar item or one million. For more information, please visit www.rockislandauction.com or call 1-800-238-8022.
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SOURCE Rock Island Auction Company
