March 1-2, 2018 Firearms, Militaria & Sporting
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/1/2018
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 maker's mark in a cartouche. Small crude copper rear sight and brass front sight. Unmarked flat lockplate, double set triggers. 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. Replaced silver oval wrist escutcheon. Barrel retained by 4 barrel keys, silver ovoid escutcheons around each. Full-length figured 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. Barrel retains a refinished brown surface with signature possibly retraced or refreshed, some edge wear and scattered marks overall. Lock is a professional reconversion to flintlock configuration. Brass retains a mellow patina. Stock has been refinished and has some restoration around lock, sideplate, and a repaired break around wrist, carving possibly cleaned or deepened. This is a good representative example by an early Lancaster gunsmith who also made rifles that were used during the American Revolutionary War. Rifles by Dickert are scarcely encountered.