September 29, 2021 The Bill Myers Collection
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/29/2021
Jacob Dickert was born in 1740 in Maintz, Germany and his family emigrated to America in 1748, finally settling in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1756. Dickert had a shop on North Queen Street in Lancaster and was listed as a gunsmith in tax records in 1770, 1772, and 1776. He opened a rifle barrel boring factory with John Henry in 1774 on a lot in Manheim Township. Jacob Dickert later made contract rifles with James Gill for the U.S. government. This rifle probably dates from between 1790 and 1810. Octagonal barrel marked "J. Dickert" on top flat in script with a faint maker's mark in a cartouche. Notched rear sight and replaced silver front sight. Flat lockplate with faint traces of inscription; single trigger. Brass furniture includes a typical Lancaster style sideplate with beveled edges, a four-piece patchbox with classic Lancaster daisy finial and engraved with deeply engraved designs and a silver eight point star above the cheekpiece. Un-engraved silver oval wrist escutcheon. Barrel retained by 4 barrel keys, silver ovoid escutcheons around rearmost key. Full length highly figured tiger maple stock of familiar Lancaster County form with incised moldings on both sides of forend and incised "C-scrolls" behind cheekpiece. Both sides of wrist feature incised designs. Wooden ramrod probably a replacement. CONDITION: Barrel retains a refinished brown surface on the last three feet with very good signature. Lock is a good professional reconversion to flintlock configuration, retains a brown surface. Brass retains a mellow patina, some denting to patchbox lid and a small chip on top corner at butt. Silver star on buttstock is a replacement. About 12" of forestock and barrel have been professionally replaced. This is a good representative example with a homogenous and attractive appearance. Made by an early Lancaster gunsmith who also made rifles that were used during the American Revolutionary War. Rifles by signed by Dickert are scarcely encountered. DMG
ADDENDUM: Photos updated.
Caliber/Bore
.50 Smoothbore
Manufacturer
Jacob Dickert