A Fine Cased Pair Of 44-Bore Flintlock Duelling Pistols
A Fine Cased Pair Of 44-Bore Flintlock Duelling Pistols
By John Manton & Son, Dover Street, London, No. 6395 For 1815
With scratch rifled rebrowned octagonal sighted barrels signed along the top flat at the breech and each with silver fore-sight, case-hardened recessed patent sloping breeches engraved with trophies and each with two platinum lines and platinum-lined touch-hole, case-hardened tangs finely engraved with foliage and each incorporating a back-sight, signed border engraved serial numbered detented locks decorated with foliage involving a globe and drum on the tail and each with blued safety-catch, cock engraved en suite with the lock, V-shaped rainproof pan with platinum bar along the bottom, signed patent steel with pierced lip, and blued steel-spring with roller, darkened maple half-stocks with chequered rounded butts, reblued iron mounts comprising serial numbered trigger-guards (one with area of pitting) each engraved with a trophy of arms on the bow, trigger-plates each with pineapple finial, and rear ramrod-pipes, silver escutcheons and barrel-bolt escutcheons, the former engraved with owner's crest, a lion's face out of a crescent, horn fore-end caps, and original brass-tipped ramrods (one repaired): in original lined and fitted mahogany case with accessories including brass-mounted three-way powder-flask covered in leather painted in imitation of tortoiseshell, turnscrew with swelling handle of octagonal section, mallet and iron bullet mould now serial numbered to the pistols, the interior of the lid with makers trade label for circa 1815-20, the exterior with circular flush-fitting brass carrying handle centred on a circular vacant brass escutcheon
23.5 cm. barrels
Sold for £38,450 inc. premium

Footnotes

  • Provenance:
    The pistols, the house sale at Burford House near Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, in March 1951, presumably to the general antique dealers G. Oliver & Sons, Guildford
    Acquired by the late owner from G. Oliver & Sons, probably shortly after the sale
    The case acquired from Claude Falkiner, the famous snooker player and collector of antique arms, in March 1951
    At the time of the house sale at Burford House the case became separated from the pistols and was sold with the very fine silver-barrelled pistols by Heylin (lot 318) to Claude Falkiner (the lot is offered with various correspondence detailing the reuniting of the case with the pistols)

    Literature:
    Norman Dixon, Georgian Pistols..., 1971, pp. 77-80 and 98, pl. 53
    W. Keith Neal & D.H.L. Back, The Manton Supplement, 1978, p. 60
    David Back, The Mantons 1782-1878, 1993, p. 43

    The crest is that of Gremiston

Category: Arms and Armour


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