An official “City Marshal” law enforcement badge donated by outlaw Robert Ford, the famed killer of Jesse James, to lawman John Hank Holt of Colorado City, Colorado, who served as the marshal in said city between 1891 and 1892. The beveled-edge shield badge, 2.5 x 2.5, 66 gm, custom-made from two late 1800s silver dollars, is engraved with the text, “City Marshal, Colorado, City,” and features an inverted yellow gold star to the center with Holt’s initials, “JHH.” The badge bears a one-piece wire spring pin to the reverse and comes with a leather pouch.
The badge includes an impressive provenance package consisting of numerous pages of microfilmed newspaper articles from The Colorado City Iris that relate to both Ford and Holt during 1891 and 1892; namely, Holt’s hiring and service as marshal and his accidental railyard death, and Ford’s residency in both Colorado City and Creede, in addition to his 1892 killing by Edward O. Kelly. One particular article from December 26, 1891, directly mentions this very badge: “Marshal Holt received a new official badge for a Christmas present. The shield is made from silver dollars and bears the inscription, ‘City Marshal, Colorado City, Colo.’ In the center is a gold star on which are engraved the marshal’s initials. Hank is proud of it. Bob Ford was the donor.” It remains unclear if Ford donated the two silver dollars used to make the badge, or if Ford had the badge made, which was then presented to Holt by the city or a third party.
Accompanied by a letter of provenance from a prior owner, former Deputy U.S. Marshal and Mission Kansas Police Officer Edwin P. McClain, which reads, in part: “This badge was acquired by me in the mid-1990s from Mr. Gene S. Brent of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Mr. Brent advised me that the badge came from the private collection of a Dr. Mummy of Denver, Colorado, at his estate sale which was in 1991. Mr. Brent had purchased the badge from Mr. Larry Connor on [June 4, 1992]. Mr. Brent checked with the Colorado Springs public library and discovered on microfilm files from the ‘Iris’…that the badge was mentioned…
During this period Bob Ford was a card dealer in the city. The population was around 3000 residents…After I obtained the badge from Mr. Brent I continued related research. I weighed the badge against two 1890 silver dollars and found it weighed approximately 10 grams higher. The weight difference being the gold star and pin. At the library I determined only one Bob Ford and John Hank Holt lived in the city. I looked up all available microfilmed newspaper articles on both men…articles [that] confirmed that it was the Bob Ford that killed Jesse James. The newspaper had his activities from the 1891 presentation of the badge up to his own killing at Creede, Colorado, in 1892. The articles also tracked Marshal Holt until his accidental death at the Midland rail yards in 1892 as well.”
Also provided are transmittal letters from noted Old West collectibles company Kurt House Enterprises, which consigned the badge to Little John’s Auction Service in 2004, as well as a copy of a ‘Deed of Gift’ from the Old Colorado City Historical Society, with the description reading: “Permission to photograph City Marshal-Colorado City ‘JHH’ badge”; a photograph of the badge is included.
