GUN SPRING 2016
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/14/2016
RARE PAIR OF HENRY DERINGER PEANUT-SIZE PERCUSSION PISTOLS MADE FOR A. J. PLATE OF SAN FRANCISCO.H DERINGERPEANUT DERRINGERS PAIR55/840Cal. 40. Tiny Derringer pistols with 2" ovoid shaped bbls that have 7-groove rifling with tiny front sight and fixed rear sight in the top tang. Top flat of the breech plug is marked "DERINGER / PHILADELA" with the same marking appearing on the lockplate. Top left flat of breech plugs are marked with a "P". Top flat of bbls are marked "MADE FOR / A. J. Plate / SAN FRANCISCO". Pistols are mounted in 1-pc walnut stock with checkered grip and empty shield thumbplates with long sideplates. Trigger guards have elaborate pineapple finials with fancy bow tie escutcheons for the single key through the forestock. Buttcaps are long tear-drop shaped, one of which had a pin added. Lockplate, hammer & top tang along with all of the German silver furniture are all beautifully engraved. Sideplate screw heads are also engraved. Tips of the trigger guard tangs & corresponding wood toes are marked with their individual serial numbers. A.J. Plate was a well-known 19th century San Francisco arms dealer & an authorized agent for Henry Deringer, though marked pairs are quite scarce. CONDITION: Guns are just under 5" overall with 1-1/16" bbls, 1-15/16" including bolsters. Pistols are virtually identical with the bbls being a cleaned grey metal patina and the stocks showing light edge wear and retain strong traces of orig varnish. SN 8 has a small hairline in the left forestock, otherwise wood is sound on both pistols. SN 55 has some light pitting on the bbl in front of the nipple bolster. Mechanics on both are fine, strong dark bores. 50140-7 JS193 (7,500-9,500)