E36m3,
I don't think the 'quintessence' of a levergun lies in the specific model or caliber; I think it lies in the operator. The coolest levergun, the one that evokes the most mystique and nostalgia, is the one in hands of a person who can shuck shells through it smooth as butter and send them downrange with confidence and aplomb. Think 'defending the ranch from those old McGreavy boys' or some-such.
To me, the best way to get to that kind of comfort and competence is with a pistol-caliber 1894. Mine are Marlins, and the easiest/funnest/fastest/cheapest of them is the .357, which is such a hoot to shoot you can't hardly help becoming good at it.
Then people will surely admire your rifle; but mostly they'll admire you.