Posted by B. Miller on November 25, 2007, 8:01 am, in reply to "shotgun question"
I'm somewhat amazed that no one has entered the fray but I'll share as best one can, burdened with a rapidly fading memory...
You may or may not be aware that the history of many New York State gunmakers is very much intertwined. The focal point in the years just after the Civil War was Syracuse. Here, Smith, Baker, and Lefever were so closely associated as to be difficult to distinguish. These associations seemed to have continued well into the 20th Century and include Ithaca Gun in the mix. Even as competitors they shared technology, equipment, and employees. (This is something I learned when my Elcee's were at Ithaca Gun in the mid 1980's.)
Your gun... I believe was made in Syracuse, NY. Likely a Baker/Smith as the two men were partners before they each set out on their own.
While technically a Smith, your gun is more a cousin or near ancestor of the modern Elcee's. In reality a full generation older than the earliest true Elcee's. At least in the terms of what we consider Elcee's today.
The gun will have damascus tubes and is therefor designed only for low power black powder loads. If verified in good mechanical condition, the gun is of a quality that I'd be unafraid to fire. Perhaps a bit awkward compared to newer guns, but well able to place a load of shot on target.
From a value standpoint everything depends on condition and grade. A plain field gun of this type in used condition won't draw much interest, nor be highly sought after. Conversely, a high grade gun in 90% condition will draw attention. The bad news is that neither will reach the value of the "real" Elcee's.
I hope that I've been of some small help here. Others will correct any mistakes that I may have made. In any case a nice old gun. Maybe not a treasure in monetary terms, but certainly a valued piece of history.