January 16, 2020 The Susquehanna Collection
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/16/2020
These fantastic and historic pistols were featured of the front cover of the July 1972 edition of "The American Rifleman". They're featured in an article on page 42, when at the time they were the property of R.H. Coleman, President of Remington Arms Company Inc. The pistols were originally made for Robert Morgan Roberts in 1775 and were owned by him until his death in 1801. Roberts was a farmer/soldier of Welsh extraction. Existing records indicate he owned a farm in Frederick County, Maryland, not far from the Pennsylvania line. Roberts served in the Maryland militia and participated in several engagements there. According to one family account, he participated in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown, Pennsylvania. In 1785, not long after the war, Roberts moved to West Moreland County, Pennsylvania. The pistols were found in Chester County, Pennsylvania in March of 1950 by Johnson N. Boyd of Boyd's Antiques. Both pistols have round smoothbore barrels with swamped muzzles and are of American manufacture. The bottoms are stamped "W". Both have hand made American locks with flat faces and moldings at the tails. The plain brass furniture includes elegant sideplates with beveled edges, both inscribed "ROBERT ROBERTS 1775". Both sideplates have a third screw to retain the sideplate to the stock when removing the lock. The trigger guards both feature acorn finials and the ramrod entry ferruls both feature these designs. The full stirrup pommel caps are both monogramed "RR" on each bottom. Both pistols feature partially figured American black walnut stocks with relief carved shells around the barrel tangs in the English fashion as well as relief panels around the lockplates and sideplates, terminating in tear drops. Both have wooden ramrods with horn tips, one is a replacement. CONDITION: Very good overall. Barrels retain a pleasing light brown patina. Locks retain a brown patina, and are both in their original flintlock configuration and have no replaced components. Brass retains a pleasing mellow mustard patina. Inscriptions show light wear from polishing. Stocks show a few scattered marks from use and some light wear to craving. There is no damage or restoration. Some minor chipping around pommel caps and a minor age crack on one side of the forend. The pistols are complete with a copy of the magazine featuring an article about them, as well as a leather bound binder featuring early black and white photographs of the pistols, sales receipts beginning in 1950, original letters from previous owners, descriptions, and other information. It would be difficult to find a better pair of definitively American Revolutionary War Pistols.
Barrel Length
(BOTH) 9 - 1/8"
Caliber/Bore
(BOTH) .69 Smoothbore
Model
(BOTH) Flintlock Officers Pistols
Paperwork
Binder of Provenance