September 9, 10, & 11, 2025 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/9/2025
Damascus twist barrels with bead front sight and relief gold "Philadelphia" in gothic script. Breeches are dressed with gold bands and silver (platinum? unclear) blowouts. Ramrod retained by a pair of ferrules and feeds into a reinforced mouth with an exaggerated pheasant and a mallard in gold. Barrels retained by a pair of keys that feed through elaborate escutcheons. Top tang with finely cut acanthus scroll and floral dressed screw, with a gold inlaid fox shadowing a mallard that is in descent. Dolphin form hammers with acanthus scroll and tall cocks. The left lock depicts a pair of hounds cornering a stag, with an exaggerated pheasant at the rear, all in a nicely cut meadow scene. The right side has a nearly identical scene, except the hounds are cornering a doe. Elaborately figured trigger guard with a mallard falling out of the sky after being shot, while two hounds corner the fox in competition for the kill. The long tang has a figured finger spur, and is engraved with a pair of landed pheasants in a meadow scene. Attractive burled walnut stock with fabulous figure is checkered in a flattop style about the wrist and is fit with a long-heeled buttplate with a hound alerting on a pair of pheasants. CONDITION: Barrels have been cleaned in the European fashion and are essentially gunmetal grey with some age-related spotting and browning. The locks are excellent, with some age-related discoloration,but the engraving is still crisp, and the gold animals are excellent. Stocks have had an extra layer of varnish added over some handling marks and impressions, one deep on the right side of the forearm. One barrel key damaged. American shotguns with this level of decoration are very rare and this one is very attractive.