Peerless Contract January 19, 1939

The last contract that the Peerless Handcuff Company had with Smith & Wesson to manufacture their handcuffs was on 19 January 1939. It noted that the first 1200 were to be finished blued. The handcuffs in this 1939 order was to begin with serial number 113309.
Recently, I attended the National Police Collector Show in Reno, Nevada and while there met BradD1 (on this forum) and purchased a couple pairs of handcuffs from him. One was blue with serial number 113917, so I knew it was part of this 1939 contract. The rear side of the left hand cuff (opposite side of the serial number) was stamped, City of El Paso.
After returning home, I sent a email to Chris Gill asking him to look up who these handcuffs were sold to and when they were sold. He responded that, “I cannot read the hand writing in the ledger, here’s a picture of it. Your guess is as good as mine.
After a little research and trying to read the ledger, I came to the conclusion it was sent to Momsen, Dunnegan & Ryan of El Paso, Texas. What interested me most, was in the ledger, 6 pairs, serial numbers 113913 - 113918, were all stamped “City of El Paso”. These were sent on September 20, 1939.
I have a few others that were included in this contract, but this is the first I have obtained that were part of the first 1200 to be blue as noted in the order of 1939.
Thank you Brad.
Dave

Dave

I have a copy of the January 19, 1939 contract that you refer to. The wording in this contract states, in part, "Said Smith & Wesson hereby agree at its own expense to manufacture and complete for and on account of said Handcuff Company, to be finished either in highly polished nickel late or S&W process blue, as may be ordered by said Handcuff Company, ten thousand (10000) pairs of steel handcuffs, including two keys of corresponding finish attached by suitable metal clips to each pair of cuffs, all to be of the same quality of material, workmanship and finish, represented by sample 15."

Later in the contract it states, "Said Smith & Wesson shall notify said Handcuff Company in writing upon the completion of the manufacture of seventy-five hundred (7500) pairs of handcuffs, under this agreement, and within thirty days from the receipt of such notification said Handcuff Company shall designate in writing the finish to be required by it upon the remaining twenty-five hundred (2500) pairs of handcuffs.". 

No specific mention of finish is mentioned beyond the above, so I suspect you have some correspondence from Peerless to S&W written after this contract was signed indicating the finish for the first 1,200 cuffs.

Matt

Matt,
As shown in my book, Early Peerless Handcuff Company with Smith & Wesson, is several S&W in-house memos on the manufacturing of this order. The one I referred to in my post is:
Customer’s Date 1-19-39
Date 1-20-39
Order 413
Peerless Handcuff Co.
Delivery as per contract Jan. 19, 1939
10,000 Pair Handcuffs
Note: first 1200 BLUE
New lot Handcuffs numbering beginning #113309

Also a in-house communication dated Jan. 23, 1939 to Mr. Philps from Mr. Pomeroy (Supt.) stating the first delivery 1200 pair Blue.
These actual documents along with others, can be seen in my book.
Dave

Thanks Dave, I thought you must have some additional correspondence.

Matt

Yer welcome, Dave. Thanks for lightening my load. Nice meeting you guys in person.

Brad


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