Skip to main content
Bonhams
Search

This auction has ended. View lot details

You may also be interested in

Own a similar item?

Submit your item online for a free auction estimate.

A Cased Pair Of Scottish 50-Bore Percussion Duelling Or Target Pistols By Alex.r Martin, Glasgow, Mid-19th Century
The medals and associate ephemera and uniforms of Arthur Watts, 6th Inniskilling Dragoons
A Pair Of Highland All-Metal Percussion Belt Pistols Signed Paton & Walsh Perth, Mid 19th century
A Silver-Mounted Left-Hand Dagger, probably German, Italian or English Late 16th Century Or Later
FOUR REPRODUCTION CARVED POWDER HORNS/FLASKS.late 20th century.
THREE CARVED COCONUT ITEMS.18th/19th century.
A COLLECTION OF ANTIQUE AND REPRODUCTION POWDER FLASKS AND RELATED SPORTING ITEMS.
THREE VICTORIAN ARMS AND ARMOUR DECORATIVE ITEMS.
Previous Lot
Next Lot
A Fine And Unusual Cased Pair Of 34-Bore Flintlock Travelling Pistols image 1
A Fine And Unusual Cased Pair Of 34-Bore Flintlock Travelling Pistols image 2
A Fine And Unusual Cased Pair Of 34-Bore Flintlock Travelling Pistols image 3
Lot 318*

A Fine And Unusual Cased Pair Of 34-Bore Flintlock Travelling Pistols
By Joseph Egg, London, Circa 1815

Antique Arms and Armour
24 November 2021, 10:30 GMT
London, Knightsbridge

£8,000 - £10,000

Own a similar item?

Submit your item online for a free auction estimate.

How to sell

Looking for a similar item?

Our Arms and Armour specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.

Find your local specialist

Ask about this lot

A Fine And Unusual Cased Pair Of 34-Bore Flintlock Travelling Pistols
By Joseph Egg, London, Circa 1815

With browned twist octagonal sighted barrels narrowed at the breech, silver fore-sights, tapering case-hardened patent breeches each signed in gold on the top flat and with platinum lines at the rear, platinum touch-holes, sighted case-hardened tangs each engraved with a martial trophy, border engraved case-hardened flat bevelled locks each signed 'Josh. Egg PATENT', decorated with a starburst behind the rainproof pan set clear of the touch-hole, and with a martial trophy and foliage at the stepped tail, foliate engraved 'French' cocks, signed border engraved steels, blued safety-catches and rollers, figured full stocks (minor bruising, one cracked at the ramrod-channel) each with flattened chequered butt, border engraved blued steel mounts comprising pommel-caps each decorated with foliage, trigger-guards each with pineapple finial and decorated with a martial trophy on the bow, slotted ramrod-pipes, vacant silver escutcheons and barrel-bolt escutcheons, original brass-tipped ramrods, one with iron worm with threaded brass cap, and much original finish: in original lined and fitted mahogany case with some accessories including brass-mounted three-way powder-flask covered in red leather, and turnscrew, the interior of the lid (minor moth damage) with maker's trade label for circa 1815-20, the exterior (old split along the back) with circular vacant brass escutcheon centred on a flush-fitting circular brass carrying handle, Birmingham proof marks
11.3 cm. barrels

Footnotes

Provenance
Christie's London, Fine Antique Arms and Armour, 15 June 1977, lot 142
Christie's London, Antique Arms, Armour and Militaria, 16 Jul 2003, lot 235

Literature
Jonathan Barrett, 'Six Oddities of English Flintlock Construction', Art, Arms and Armour (R. Held ed.), 1979-80, pp. 394-396, pls. 4-6
W. Keith Neal & D.H.L. Back, British Gunmakers Their Trade Cards, Cases and Equipment, 1980, pl. 352

The purpose of the pans set clear of the touch-holes is unclear. It has been suggested that they were intended for a secret priming powder of Joseph Egg's own invention, but experiments are said to have failed to make the pistols go off

Additional information

Bid now on these items

A Cased Pair Of Scottish 50-Bore Percussion Duelling Or Target Pistols By Alex.r Martin, Glasgow, Mid-19th Century
The medals and associate ephemera and uniforms of Arthur Watts, 6th Inniskilling Dragoons
A Pair Of Highland All-Metal Percussion Belt Pistols Signed Paton & Walsh Perth, Mid 19th century
A Silver-Mounted Left-Hand Dagger, probably German, Italian or English Late 16th Century Or Later
FOUR REPRODUCTION CARVED POWDER HORNS/FLASKS.late 20th century.
THREE CARVED COCONUT ITEMS.18th/19th century.
A COLLECTION OF ANTIQUE AND REPRODUCTION POWDER FLASKS AND RELATED SPORTING ITEMS.
THREE VICTORIAN ARMS AND ARMOUR DECORATIVE ITEMS.