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SUPERB HIGH ORIGINAL CONDITION PAIR OF LARGE BORE

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:7,500.00 USD Estimated At:15,000.00 - 20,000.00 USD
SUPERB HIGH ORIGINAL CONDITION PAIR OF LARGE BORE

FLINTLOCK CAVALRY PISTOLS WITH BELTHOOKS IN ORIGINAL CASE BY WILLIAM PALMER OF ROCHESTER, KENT. Cal. .660. NSN. This interesting pair of pistols by this noted provincial English maker have been made with unusual spur at top of grip allowing them to be fired with one's middle finger, most likely made for a person with a damaged or missing trigger finger. 7" Tapered octagon twist bbls. fitted w/ central fire inset patent breeches are stamped w/ silver poincons on top marked "PALMER" "ROCHESTER" (William Palmer working at 53 High St. Rochester, Kent 1810-26). Bbls. are fitted w/ brass barley corn front sights & steel bridled ramrods. Patent breeches are fitted w/ platinum lined touch holes & bands of geometric engraving are across rear of bbl., breeches & scroll engraved breech irons. Case hardened flint locks w/ flat plates are fitted w/ high breasted serpentine cocks, full water proof pans, & bridled frizzens w/ rollers on feathersprings. Lockplates, cocks & frizzens have feather border engraving. Faces of cocks are floral engraved. Lockplates are engraved w/ stands of arms in front of cocks and w/ drums & flags at rears above "PALMER". Case hardened trigger plates have stylized pineapple finials, blued trigger guards have cornucopia & floral engraving on bows. Stocks of dense root walnut have checkered bag grips w/ extreme curve. As mentioned before, tops of grips have well shaped spurs to allow use of middle finger in firing while controlling pistols with one's thumb and 1st knuckle. Case hardened 5" steel belt hooks are affixed to left sides & have pineapple finials. Stocks extend to within 1" of muzzles, have horn tips, and attach to bbls. w/ single side bolts without escutcheons. Vacant rectangular crestplates w/ cut corners are at tops of grips. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: pistols are housed in their original mahogany case w/ flush mounted brass D-ring handle. Key lock is without escutcheon. Case is lined in pilled green cloth, no label is present. Bottom compartment holds pistols & a number of original accessories including faceted unmarked copper powder flask, a steel wad cutter, a 2 piece rosewood & brass cleaning rod w/ bullet puller, wad puller, & cleaning jag. One open compartment holds a dusting brush, some balls & wads. Also present is a tan leather wallet containing 4 flints. PROV: 1 pistol illustrated on p.48 & pair described on p.49 of "Early Firearms of Great Britain and Ireland, Catalog of the Clay P. Bedford Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1971". CONDITION: very fine. Original. Bbls. retaining nearly all of their dramatic brown twist finish. Patent breeches, locks & trigger plates retain over 85% of their original case hardening color w/ some silvering & slight loss due to flaking on frizzens & high edges. Feather springs retain most of their original temper blue. Trigger guards & thimbles retain over 90% of their original blue. Stocks retain nearly all of their original fine oil finish w/ a few scattered light marks. Silver poincon & crestplates show considerable tarnish. Bores are bright & shiny. Pistols appear to be unfired. Frizzens show only a few minor sparkings. Locks & frizzens are crisp. Case retains nearly all of its original oil finish but w/ some major cracks on cover, one at rear measuring about 7" & 2 at front, one 4 1/2", the other 4". D-ring handle is tarnished, handle itself bent upward. Keylock is intact. Interior cloth is very fine, somewhat faded & w/ some compressions & rubs. Accessories are also very fine, matching condition of pistols. A lovely & interesting pair of classic flintlock pistols. (01-20582/MGM). ANTIQUE. $15,000-20,000.