The “Lost State of Montezuma” is derived from a territorial purchase that led to a failed proposal to create a U.S. state. This idea emerged during the mid-19th century during a period marked by territorial expansion and debates over the organization of newly acquired lands.
SK Customs® Presents “The Lost State of Montezuma – James Gadsden,” the fourth production in the Lost States of America Engravers Series.
James Gadsden played a significant role in this era of American expansion. Born May 15, 1788 in Charleston, South Carolina, Gadsden was most notably a soldier, diplomat and railroad executive.
Gadsden is best known for negotiating the Gadsden Purchase in 1853, wherein the United States acquired approximately 30,000 square miles of territory from Mexico. This land was intended to facilitate a southern transcontinental railroad and now forms the southernmost regions of Arizona and New Mexico.
The proposal for the State of Montezuma aimed to organize these southwestern territories into a single state, potentially enhancing administrative efficiency and political representation. While the name “Montezuma” pays homage to the Aztec Emperor, the proposal did not come to fruition. Instead, the territories followed separate paths to statehood: New Mexico in 1912 and Arizona shortly thereafter.
SOLD OUT
Commemorating James Gadsden in this context highlights his influence on the territorial expansion of the United States. His efforts in securing the Gadsden Purchase not only reshaped the United States’ southern border, but also set the stage for future infrastructure developments, such as the envisioned southern transcontinental railroad. While the State of Montezuma remains a historical thought, it emphasizes the dynamic and often complex process of nation-building during a transformative period in American history.
SK Customs honors Gadsden and Montezuma with a limited-edition production run of only 200 Colt 1911 Full-Size Government Models chambered in .45 ACP. Featuring highly polished slide flats with selective 24k Gold plating, each pistol includes a special engraved edition number.
SOLD OUT
The art depicted on this collectable’s slide includes a subtle scroll of Palo Verde (the state tree of Arizona) and the American Bald Eagle. Mexico’s Gold Eagle appears, accented by a banner encompassing the New Mexico state motto “Crescit Eundo” meaning “It Grows as it Goes” and the Arizona State seal “Ditat Deus” meaning “God Enriches”. These are all set in 24k Gold, featured on the slide.
The right side of the slide portrays the Gadsden Purchase, otherwise known as “the Treaty”, where Gadsden, then the U.S Minister to Mexico, and a Mexican state official met to sign over the land.
To complete the firearm, a portrait of Gadsden with the title “Lost State of Montezuma” sits on top of the slide, just below the iconic American Progress symbol of Manifest Destiny. The firearm is completed with beautiful Desert Ironwood grips from the Sonora Desert indigenous to Arizona.
