A COLT. 45 revolver once owned by General George S. Patton sold for US$75,000 at auction in Los Angeles, the United States.

    Profiles in History, which conducted the auction, had expected the working firearm to fetch over US$60,000.

    The Colt. 45 Model 1873 single-action revolver with distinctive stag horn grip was acquired by the famous World War II general around 1928.

    The gun, owned by Patton until his death in 1945, is often considered to be a version of his famous ivory-handled Colt. 45, which is on display at The General George Patton Museum and Center of Leadership in Fort Knox, Kentucky. The weapon’s US$75,000 price tag includes the buyer’s premium.

    A host of other historic manuscripts and artifacts were also auctioned, including General William Sherman’s final demand for General Joseph Johnston’s surrender of the Confederate Army in 1865, which sold for US$100,000.

    General Robert E. Lee’s General Order No. 9, his signed farewell to his vanquished army, sold for just over US$90,000.

    A selection of rare and intimate letters from Albert Einstein on everything from God to his son’s geometry studies and a little toy steam engine were also auctioned Thursday for more than US$420,000.(SD-Agencies)