November 17, 2020 Early Arms & Militaria: Age of Exploration, Empire & Revolution
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/17/2020
This fine patchboxed fowler dates circa 1780-1790 and is attributed to George Frederick Fainot because of his trademark sideplate, which shows French influence. Fainot was a French immigrant who was trained in Europe before working in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He was born in France in 1728 near the Swiss border and originally immigrated to Quebec, Canada. He later moved to the Hudson Valley before he arrived in Lancaster in 1770 and worked for about 40 years on North Queen St. In 1779, he supplied rifles to the Continental Army, according to "The Lancaster Long Rifle" by Hornberger and Kolar, where another similar example with a nearly identical patchbox is shown on pages 28 and 29. The 51" two-stage iron .62 caliber barrel is rifled. There is a brass front blade sight and a notched iron rear sight. The flat handmade lockplate has a recessed crescent section at the tail. The brass furniture is clearly the work of Fainot and includes an enclosed two-piece patchbox with a horizontal opening lid engaged by a button on the top skirt. The lid is tombstone shaped and engraved with a flower with eight petals in the center and a roped border. There are eleven brass pins decorating the stock around the patchbox and along the wrist. The brass sideplate is classic Fainot, and resembles French sideplates. There is a large eight-point brass inlaid Moravian star on the left side of the buttstock. There are also two brass pins decorating the top of the comb and three along the top of the wrist. The brass buttplate features a four-stage tang engraved with floral decorations and scrolls. There is a teardrop-shaped silver oval wrist escutcheon with engraved borders. The trigger guard terminates in an acorn finial at the front. The plain walnut stock shows classic early 19th century Lancaster form and four brass keys retain the barrel. Complete with a period wooden ramrod. CONDITION: Barrel retains a pitted and browned surface. Lock has been reconverted to flint and retains a blued plate. Lock functions properly. The brass furniture has been polished bright and shows scattered marks from use and heavy wear in some areas. Stock shows a more recent coat of finish. There is a piece of wood missing above the lock, just behind the breech, and a wide crack at the rear lock retaining screw. There is also a sliver missing in the front of the lock tang. Some cracks on both sides of the forend have been repaired and there is a crack in need of repair on the left side. The last 7" of the forend have been professionally replaced. A very nice Lancaster rifle, by a desirable and scarcely encountered maker. DMG
Item Dimensions: L - 67"
Manufacturer
George Fredrick Fainot, Attributed