February 24th & 25th 2012 General (02)
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/24/2012
School: London. Circa 1820 to 1840. These fine cased large bore percussion pistols are by H.W. Mortimer, London, gunmaker to his Royal Majesty and the Honorable East India Company, as duly noted by the original affixed label on the interior of the box lid. The box itself has all of its original felt covered compartments and internal lids also. The fine mahogany box is in excellent, untouched condition. The pistols themselves are in exceptional, untouched condition having original finish on their fine walnut stocks, with extraordinarily finely checkered bag handles which have carved spiral, or knurled, buttcaps. All of the iron mounts are beautifully engraved and fire-blued, with the exception of the Damascene browned ten-inch octagonal barrels, having .62 caliber smooth bores. The percussion locks show evidence of having been flintlock; not only were the original holes “infilled” but there is a “hammer cut” in the stocks above the lockplates, behind the remnants of the pan. The cased accoutrements includes a lacquered brass powder flask, a lacquered Eley’s London cap box, an iron bullet mold, and also a powder measure, along with several lead balls. The ramrods are original with horn tips and cleaning jags. This is an exceptional set of fine English cased pistols, perhaps used for dueling.