Parker Coach Gun Under Lifter Action Hammer Gun

• 12 Bore
• Widows peak steel butt plate
• Marked on concave barrel rib as "Stub twist Damascus" (which was an upgrade)
• Wells Fargo marked on action flat, under barrels, and on wood just behind lower tang
• Correctly marked on barrel rib as "Parker Bros. Makers, Merden Conn."
• Wood is in excellent shape (has been embellished by owner with brass and nickel tacks on forend in shape of a cross and butt stock has brass pins where originally owners badge had been
• Barrel flats are marked "Deer Lodge Montana," and "Territorial Prison" with patent date of April 11, 1876
• Action flats marked "Frank Conley 24" 
• The Parker book lists this shotgun as correct on caliber, grip style, grade, and barrels with the exception of original 30" barrels
• All matching serial numbers on trigger tang, action, barrel lug and forearm key, #10563
• 17 3/4" side by side barrels
• Has 1875 patent date on bottom of receiver
• Made in 1877
• Owned by Frank Conley and used as his personal defense shotgun in his office when he was the prison warden at Montana State Prison 
• He was originally a guard in 1886 and in 1889 became the first warden for the Montana State Prison and held the office for 32 years
• He was also the mayor of Deer Lodge, MT for almost 32 years
• He was known as the Father of Modern Prisons
• He was quoted as saying "Keep a man in prison after he has experienced a real change of heart and he will become embittered."
• He pioneered the idea of using the prison labor work force for public works projects and state buildings along with hundreds of miles of roads.
• He became a very prominent and rich man using prison labor to make many buildings in town as well as enlarging the prison and even a very nice personal home for him and his wife on the prison grounds.
• This gun was acquired from the family that purchased it directly from the Conley family
• It is very rare to find a Parker made coach gun & double rare when associated with such a prominent person in history