June 25-28, 2018 Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/25/2018
This exceptional pair of pre-Revolutionary War officer's pistols are from the personal collection of Warren Moore, author of "Weapons of the American Revolution". The pistols are featured in the beginning of the book on page 25 plate 26. Many items in the book were not from his personal collection, but he found these pistols to be worthy of his own collection. They were purchased by the current owner directly from the agent handling Warren Moore's estate. Both pistols round swamped barrels, tops engraved with acanthus leaves and borders around "LONDON". Left sides of breeches stamped with London view and proof marks, as well as a crown over "F", indicating that Thomas Jones was a foreigner and not a member of the gunmaker's gild. Early rounded lockplates with single line borders and both inscribed "T / Jones" in centers. Brass furniture including full stirrup buttcaps with grotesque mask pommel caps and vacant symmetrical wrist escutcheons with clam shells at tops and acanthus leaf finials at bottoms. Fine pierced sideplates chased and engraved with borders and triggerguard bows engraved with fine clam shells and tooled borders. Walnut stocks of Georgian form with relief carved shells around barrel tangs and relief panels around locks and sideplates. Complete with original wooden ramrods with pinned brass caps, one with original worm, the other with original cleaning spike. Excellent condition, overall, excellent markings. These fine pistols show very little wear, all steel components retain a polished surface. Actions function well and are in original flintlock configuration. Brass retains a mellow unpolished mustard patina, engraving shows no wear. Stocks very good, one pistol with a hairline age crack between front of triggerguard tang and entry ferrule; the other with a minor chip in front of the lock tang. These pistols are in exceptional fine and original condition and are a great example of French and Indian War period English officer's pistols.
Caliber/Bore
.60 Smoothbore