October 30, 2019 The Collection of Steve & Marcy Hench
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/30/2019
This rifle is pictured on page 84 on a full page in "Berks County Long Rifles and Gunmakers 1750-1900" by Patrick Hornberger. Round, tapered, smoothbore barrel with heavy walls and a hooked breech. Silver front sight and a notch in rear tang. Barrel is retained by four iron keys surrounded by silver escutcheons on both sides. Rounded lockplate with scalloped decorative frizzen spring. The brass furniture includes a simple Berks County style two piece patchbox and a wide buttplate with patchbox release button on top of three-stage tang. Sideplate is rounded and in the French style, terminating at the back in a point. The trigger guard shows Bucks County influence with a tombstone at the rear tang and a rounded Fleur-de-Lis final at the front tang. Brass nosecap and ramrod ferrules, the entry ferrule with a thumbnail shaped tang, similar to those seen in Bucks County. There is an ovoid shaped wrist escutcheon decorated with tooled borders and a monogram "ATL" in script, possibly denoting ownership by Anthony Lee, an early family in Oley, Berks County, Pennsylvania. Full length, partially figured maple stock of early Berks County form with wrist extending into buttstock and raised panels around lock and sideplate. Complete with original ramrod. This rifle was probably made circa 1775-1790 in Oley Township, Pennsylvania. CONDITION: Excellent, untouched, and "as found". Barrel and lock retain a dry, brown patina. Lock has some minor deterioration to surface and a small piece of the pan cover on the frizzen is missing. Brass and silver furniture is unpolished and retains a dark mustard patina. The stock retains its original finish which has darkened in some of the protected areas. Lock is in its original flintlock configuration. This is a very nice, untouched Berks County rifle. PROVENANCE: Purchased from Patrick Donnelly. Patrick found the rifle in Berks County. It is complete with the book "Berks County Church Records of the 18th Century", which identifies Lee.
Caliber/Bore
.54 Smoothbore