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Tombstone Western Heritage Museum Auction: The Earp Brothers & Cowboys

Sat, Jul 26, 2025 11:00AM EDT
  2025-07-26 11:00:00 2025-07-26 11:00:00 America/New_York North American Auction Company North American Auction Company : Tombstone Western Heritage Museum Auction: The Earp Brothers & Cowboys https://live.naabid.com/auctions/north-american-auction/tombstone-western-heritage-museum-auction-the-earp-brothers-cowboys-20021
Join North American Auction Company on July 26th for a once-in-a-lifetime auction of the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum Collection. This extraordinary sale features the largest private collection of Tombstone history, including rare and historic pieces tied to Wyatt Earp, the Earp Brothers, and the infamous Cochise Cowboys. From original artifacts, outlaw relics, and the largest collection of C.S. Fly photographs, this is a can’t-miss event for collectors of the Old West’s most legendary chapter.
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Lot 779

EXCAVATED Fort Bowie, A.T. Military Artifacts

Estimate: $600 - $800
Starting Bid
$200

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
Featured in this lot is this excavated Fort Bowie, Arizona Territory military artifacts circa 19th century and were displayed in the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum; Provenance: From the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum in Tombstone, Arizona. All of these artifacts were excavated at the Fort Bowie site in Arizona near present day Wilcox, Arizona. The first items in this collection are a total of six dropped or abandoned rounds with a total of ten spend shell casings and a total of eight bullets of a variety of caliber's all found at Fort Bowie. There is one single well preserved .45/70 BF68 MISFIRE that shows the depression from the firing pin and comes complete with an original museum tag that reds as follows: .45/70 misfire found between Ft. Bowie & Apache Pass in 1937 by a deer hunter. The second item in this collection is a Cavalry snaffle bit that is marked on the O-Ring "U.S.. The next item is a bottle found at Fort Bowie that shows either pharmaceutical origin or used for ration whiskey for the troops stationed there and shows a cork that doesn't fit this bottle but has a brass top, the bottle comes with an original museum tag that reads as follows: Bottles found on Ft. Bowie. The next collection of items are excavated personal soldier items and adornments including buttons and clips with a celluloid pin and an original museum tag that reads as follows: Military buttons found on Fort Bowie - 1854 Eagle Tunic - 1884 Eagle Cuff - 1884 Eagle Tunic. Fort Bowie, located in southeastern Arizona, was established in 1862 to protect settlers and vital travel routes through Apache Pass during the turbulent conflicts with the Chiricahua Apache, including leaders like Cochise and Geronimo. The fort served as a strategic military post during the Apache Wars, playing a central role in securing the area for westward expansion. By the 1880s, with the eventual surrender of Geronimo and the decline of Apache resistance, Fort Bowie symbolized the closing of a violent chapter in Arizona's history. Its presence helped pave the way for increased settlement, railroad expansion, and economic development, marking a turning point in the region's transformation from contested frontier to integrated territory. The condition of this collection of excavated artifacts is well preserved with some patina adorning the bit and heavy oxidation and patina adorning the cartridges and misfire rounds with the uniform artifacts showing similar weathering due to exposure. The measurements if this collection range from 1/2" x 1/2" to 10 1/4" x 2 7/8". The collective weight of this artifact collection is 2lb 8oz. AUT-64, G-121, ML-02

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