May 17, 2022 Early Arms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/17/2022
The 44" full octagon barrel is inscribed "Jacob Kuntz". The brass patch box features a Fleur-de-Lis finial and finely engraved including a Lehigh County “face” within the engraving. There are heavy brass wire inlay decorations above and below the patchbox lid. The rifle has four silver inlays and the typical arrow back side plate is heavy beveled brass. The relief carving on the cheek side of the butt is exceptional and the cheekpiece features a large finely engraved eight-pointed star inlay within an engraved oval silver ring. The rifle shows worn incised carving at the rear ramrod ferrule and extremely nice Fleur-de-Lis relief carving at the barrel tang. Jacob Kuntz was born in Lehigh Township in 1780. Jacob Kuntz is a very important maker who worked in Allentown, PA. He moved to Philadelphia in 1810, and in 1812 married Barbara Neihart, niece of the famous Allentown gunsmith Peter Neihart. In 1833 the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia awarded Jacob Kuntz a silver medal for his skill and ingenuity. Jacob died at the age of 95 years after becoming Philadelphia’s most sought-after gunsmith by wealthy customers in England, Scotland, and America. There are very few relief-carved Lehigh County rifles. One unusually fine example is the iconic unsigned rifle attributed to Jacob Kuntz that was used on the logo for the Kentucky Rifle Association’s 50th Anniversary in 2012 and is included in their Presidents display CD of Lehigh County rifles. This rifle has the same features and relief carving, but is signed. This very important rifle provides important evidence of the relief-carving style used on early Kuntz rifles. Jacob Kuntz rifles have been on display in the Arms and Armor exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for over a decade. CONDITION: The Kuntz signature is worn but legible. There is about 3" of brass wire inlay missing under the patch box door at the buttplate. There is a short insignificant break in the underside of the stock between the lock and trigger guard. Each of these rifles, this one, which is signed, and its unsigned twin, have had their fore ends painstakingly and professionally restored (front 35 - 1/2") and their locks replaced. Ramrod is a modern replacement. The unsigned rifle traded hands on various occasions over the years finally selling at a James D. Julia Firearms Auction where it realized $ 55,000. These are the only two relief carved Jacob Kuntz rifles known to date with this high-quality relief carving. DMG
Item Dimensions: L: 60"