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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 9

Sheriff Pat Garrett's Traveling Gambling Dice

Estimate: $1,500 - $2,500
Current Bid
$275

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
The lot features two 19th-century bone dice owned by famous Sheriff Pat Garrett with documentation letters and is from the ex-collections of Pat Garrett, Jarvis Garrett, R.E.M. Western Relics, Robert “Bobby” McNellis, John McNellis and the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum. The dice are carved from bone and are of an unusually small size, noted in a letter from historian John McNellis as, “Pat was a well known gambler, did he stick the enclosed dice in his pocket and have entertainment when things quieted down at the night on some of his man-hunts or well traveling around on Lincoln business.” The items were recovered by Bobby and John McNellis from Pat Garrett’s son Jarvis Garrett from a gambling box with at least two letters from John McNellis referring to the pieces included. Patrick “Pat” Floyd Jarvis Garrett (1850-1908) was an American Old West lawman, bartender and customs agent best known for killing Billy the Kid. He was the Sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, as well as Doña Ana County, New Mexico. Prior to becoming a lawman, Garrett was a bartender at Beaver Smith’s saloon in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. It was at the saloon that Garrett met and often gambled with William Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid. Provenance: Tombstone Western Heritage Museum, Tombstone, Arizona; ex-collection of Robert McNellis (Bobby McNellis / Bob McNellis) and John McNellis, R.E.M. Western Relics El Paso, Texas and El Paso Saddlery Co.; Jarvis P. Garrett (Pat Garrett’s youngest son); and Sheriff Pat Garrett. First letter dated 2-3-2003 from John McNellis mentions the small dice being directly from the box of gaming items of Sheriff Pat Garrett’s. The next letter shows an image of some of the gambling box items, which these were included in; the letter is on El Paso Saddlery Co. stationary from John W. McNellis and states the dice (and other items) came from Sheriff Pat F. Garrett’s personal gaming paraphernalia box which was authenticated and came directly from Jarvis P. Garrett who was the youngest son of Pat. These were donated by John McNellis on his brother Bobby McNellis’s behalf to the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum. Also an El Paso Saddlery Co. John W. McNellis' business card is included. The dice each measure approximately just over ¼-inch on the flat side and 3/8-inch diagonally.* Museum number: LO-137, LO-138.

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