I hit a dead end on internet research several years ago, kind of let this sit, if anyone can help please. Pistol came down to me from my great-grandfather. It's first year production #18XX, marked "New York Police" on backstrap. It is nickel plated but very well worn under that. I know it's not factory plated. I have seen on dealer websites, "New York Police" marked revolvers like this that they say the number on the butt is the officer's badge number. This one has a big "1." Everyone seems to agree that police commissioner TR got "serial number 1." I'm just kind of wondering ... maybe they mean badge number 1? Or who was badge number 1 in the NYPD in those days?
My great-grandfather went to medical school on the east coast, and family history is that he was chief of surgery at Walter Reed in the early 1900s. He moved to Tucson around 1910 and was a prominent surgeon there through the 1930s. Just seems possible he could have attended to TR some time and maybe ... Anyway probably just dreaming but I am curious about the number 1.
My great-grandfather went to medical school on the east coast, and family history is that he was chief of surgery at Walter Reed in the early 1900s. He moved to Tucson around 1910 and was a prominent surgeon there through the 1930s. Just seems possible he could have attended to TR some time and maybe ... Anyway probably just dreaming but I am curious about the number 1.