S&W 66-2 kentucky coal operators'

K

kawboy

Inactive
has anyone heard of a 357 magnum with a statue of liberty engraved on the right hand side that says coal is freedom? on the barrel it says

Kentucky Coal Operators'
S&W 357 magnum
1985 Limited eddition 1 of 138

I have the 29th one made and was wondering what this gun would be worth?

I also have the original box that it came in, it is a wooden box with a statue of liberty that says coal is freedom.
 
Can't help you with the price -- pricing on commemorative guns is always extremely difficult.

But, The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson says this: "Kentucky Coal Operations: reported around 1986 as marked "We Dig Coal."

It was probably special ordered by the company as a bonus for management or employees.
 
The new SCSW list it as Kentucky Coal Operators Model 66. No prices because so few have been sold. If new in the box, My WAG is maye 150 to 200 over normal ANIB lsit price. If now new in the box and has been fired, then maybe 50 over list price. Just a WAG
 
thanks for the replys I also have a 27-2 S&W 357 mag with the 8 and 1/2 in barrel. around what would that be worth?
 
RJ,

Which edition of the standard catalog do you have?

Is the third edition out?

Crap. I just found it on Amazon.

Time to update.
 
Those "special edition" S&W's sound like good collector's items and good investments. The sad truth is that they rarely bring any more than the standard gun, and usually will bring less, since collectors look on them as defaced guns. The same is true of special edition police markings, the major exception being the Texas Ranger commemoratives.

Engraved guns used to be a big deal, with costly engraving and so on, but S&W uses a laser engraver that can "print" any slogan, photo or logo that you can put on a computer screen, so it is a low cost option. (Do YOU want your girlfriend's picture on a .38? I think S&W will do it.)

As a rule, such special order guns will have interest only in the specific area/group that they were made for. Ones marked for, say, the Indiana State Police anniversary, will have no interest in Illinois. Mostly, well-meaning groups, like police unions, order a batch of guns with the idea of selling them to members to make money. The members usually ignore them in droves, and the guns are put on the market for whatever they will bring.

Jim
 
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