A REMARKABLE COLLECTION OF ANTIQUE ARMS AND ARTIFACTS USED THROUGHOUT THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN FILMS REVEALS HOW HOLLYWOOD BROUGHT THE AGE OF SAIL TO LIFE
By Nick Plett | July 7, 2026
Following the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003, Disney and the filmmaking team immediately set their sights on expanding what would become one of the most successful adventure franchises in cinematic history. As work began on the sequel, director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer shared a bold ambition: Rather than relying on studio-fabricated prop weapons as they had on the first film, they wanted to arm their cast and populate their world with genuine period antiques — real weapons carrying centuries of history, authenticity, and character.
Antique arms dealer and collector Sean Rich was attending his daughter’s soccer practice when he received a call from an unfamiliar number. On the line were prop masters Kris Peck and Michael Hansen, who had recently joined the next Pirates production. Rich had been recommended to Hansen through a mutual acquaintance, and the conversation quickly turned to historical filmmaking and the world of movie props. Rich remarked that if he could change one thing about the recent Mel Gibson epic The Patriot, it would have been the use of authentic antiques in place of modern reproductions. “Why spend all this money fabricating props,” he asked, “when you can use the real thing?” Hansen and Peck immediately recognized they had found exactly the expert they were looking for.
Sean Rich’s collection, 200 items of which are available in Heritage’s July 13-17 Hollywood & Entertainment Signature® Auction, includes this antique French double-barrel flintlock used by Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in 2006’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.’ The pistol was originally from the personal collection of Samuel Colt, the famed inventor, industrialist, and founder of the Colt firearms company.
The auction also features rare artifacts like this wrought-iron Armada treasure chest box. The box was employed as a design template for a production-used replica for ‘Dead Man’s Chest.’
An archaeologist, historian, treasure hunter, and lifelong collector, Rich has spent decades immersed in the study and acquisition of antique arms and historical artifacts. As founder of Tortuga Trading, Inc., he has searched the globe — from shipwreck sites off the Florida coast to long-forgotten armories in remote regions of India — assembling a world-class collection of rare antiquities. His expertise in centuries-old weaponry is virtually unmatched, and the Pirates filmmakers quickly realized just how invaluable his knowledge would be in bringing their vision to life.
When Rich met with the production team, it became clear that their goals were aligned. Access to authentic period weapons would add a tangible layer of realism impossible to replicate through modern fabrication, enriching the immersive world they sought to create. While the filmmakers initially envisioned stars such as Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, and Orlando Bloom carrying these genuine antiques, their ambitions soon expanded. They wanted everyone — from principal cast to background performers — to wield authentic historical weapons. The only question was whether Rich could supply them in sufficient quantity.
The answer was a resounding yes.
This 1685 sword carried by Keith Richards as Captain Teague in 2007’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End’ was photo-matched by the experts at Sports Investors Authentication (SIA).
Among the collection’s other treasures are jewels like this 17th-century bib necklace used in ‘Dead Man’s Chest.’
Throughout production, Rich regularly arrived at the Disney lot with vehicles full of carefully curated selections from his collection. Spread across tables, the weapons captivated directors, actors, producers, set dressers, and stunt performers alike, who gathered in awe as they examined these artifacts that had survived centuries before finding a new life on screen. Verbinski became deeply involved in the selection process, personally helping determine which weapons would be assigned to specific characters and scenes. What began as a consultation evolved into a partnership that continued across the next four films in the blockbuster franchise.
Now, during its July 13-17 Hollywood & Entertainment Signature® Auction, Heritage is offering more than 200 antique firearms, edged weapons, accessories, set dressing pieces, and production materials used throughout the second through fifth Pirates of the Caribbean films, all from the collection of Sean Rich.
“Sean Rich’s collection represents a remarkable convergence of historical significance and cinematic legacy,” says Joe Maddalena, Heritage’s Executive Vice President. “These are not props created to look old — they are genuine artifacts of the Age of Sail that helped bring one of the most beloved film franchises of the modern era to life, making this one of the most extraordinary entertainment-related offerings Heritage Auctions has ever presented.”
This instantly recognizable and extremely rare ‘duckfoot’ pistol that dates to the 18th century appears in ‘At World’s End.’
Adding to the authenticity of the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ films were pieces like these antique treasure coins.
Many of the weapons in the auction possess provenance and significance that extend far beyond their cinematic appearances. Among the highlights is the French double-barrel flintlock carried by Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) during the coffin sequence at the beginning of Dead Man’s Chest. This exceptional firearm originated from the personal collection of legendary industrialist and firearms innovator Samuel Colt, whose development of the revolver was inspired in part by earlier multibarrel weapons such as this example. Arms from Colt’s personal collection are exceedingly rare and seldom appear at public auction.
Equally significant is the saber wielded by Captain Teague (Keith Richards) in At World’s End. Manufactured circa 1685 for the Dutch East India Company (VOC), this antique iron-hilt cutlass ranks among the earliest known surviving examples of its type, rivaling examples held in major museum collections.
These are only two of dozens of extraordinary artifacts featured throughout the offering, which also includes a rare four-barrel “duckfoot” flintlock pistol, a British Royal Navy “grenade gun,” and a late-16th-century wrought-iron Armada treasure chest box. Complementing the weaponry are antique jewelry, treasure coins, navigational instruments, and other recovered artifacts that helped bring the rich world of Pirates of the Caribbean to life on screen.
The auction also marks a milestone for Heritage Auctions through its collaboration with the third-party experts at Sports Investors Authentication (SIA), who conducted extensive research on select pieces within Rich’s collection, successfully photo-matching numerous hero weapons to their on-screen appearances. The incorporation of third-party photo-matching further underscores the importance of these authentic antiques in shaping the visual identity of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
