RARE NOCK PACKET SHIP PISTOL CIRCA 1795 £4,500.00
A VERY RARE BRASS MOUNTED 16 BORE POST OFFICE PACKET SHIP FLINTLOCK PISTOL BY HENRY NOCK, BUTT CAP MARKED ‘GEN’L POST OFFICE’ - CIRCA 1795.
Only a handful of these extremely rare packet ship pistols have survived. Considerably rarer than the mail pistols made by Mortimer and Harding for land use. Appendix 4 in the book ‘Those Entrusted with Arms’ by Frederick Wilkinson, lists just two of these Nock packet ship pistols (page 256) compared to 66 recorded surviving Mail Coach pistols. This is hardly surprising as there were approximately 120-140 Mail Coaches but just 16 packet ships (1808 list) operating out of Falmouth with many wartime losses of packet ships and crews. Our own research reveals just 5 surviving packet ship pistols by Henry Nock - the two recorded in the above book (one of which in museum condition was sold through West Street Antiques in 2011 and used for comparative photos below), plus one excellent condition example with a belt hook in a private collection in the USA, one (without a belt hook) owned by the Postal Museum and on loan to the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth plus this example now offered for sale. When Henry Nock died in 1804, his contract to supply these Packet Ship pistols appears to have been taken over by his successor James Wilkinson with a few WILKINSON marked examples surviving of near identical pattern to Nock.
This pistol has a 9.5 inch brass barrel (proofs worn) of 16 bore, a border engraved lock signed H NOCK with inspectors stamp of a crown over 2 under the pan (the crown very feint as original stamping hit the pan edge - hence the other comparison photo), ring neck reinforced cock. Lock in excellent mechanical condition. Full stocked with regulation brass mounts, the buttcap marked GEN’L POST OFFICE (feint), steel belt hook with inspectors stamp, brass tipped wooden ramrod which looks original and matches the museum quality example. Overall length 16 inches. This very original pistol has seen extensive use with numerous handling marks, wear to brass barrel, engraving and mounts, old splits mainly around fore end pins and minor wood losses. A very rare survivor.
Reference;-
‘Those Entrusted with Arms’ by Frederick Wilkinson, 2002. Appendix 4, pages 254-258 plus pages 125-126 for details of Nock contract.
‘The Falmouth Packets 1689-1851’ by Tony Pawlyn, 2003.
‘The Falmouth Packets’ by David Mudd, 1978.
Henry Nock - see numerous references online.
Price: £4,500.00
Please contact us if you are interested in purchasing this item - quoting reference: SKU 140D
The price includes UK mainland delivery. No licence is required to possess this item in the UK if owned as a curio as part of a collection or display.
FLINTLOCK HOLSTER PISTOL BY GRIERSON
A GOOD FLINTLOCK HOLSTER PISTOL CIRCA 1795 BY CHARLES GRIERSON, GUNMAKER TO GEORGE III
A good flintlock holster pistol circa 1795 by Charles Grierson of London, Gunmaker to King George III and former workman of John Manton. Blued 7” round 25 bore swamped barrel marked LONDON (minor pitting) with crisp London proof marks. Lock signed GRIERSON with swan neck cock. Excellent working action, frizzen spring possibly a old replacement. Walnut full stock (old repaired crack behind lock otherwise very good) with brass mounts including long eared buttcap and vacant escutcheon. Wooden ramrod. Overall length 13.” A relatively small but tactile holster pistol by a good maker who previously worked for John Manton before setting up on his own at 10 New Bond Street, London between 1793-1841. Appointed Gunmaker to King George III. This is an early example of his work.
SOLD
BRONZE MOUNTED HOLSTER PISTOLS £3,450.00
A VERY GOOD EARLY 1700s PAIR OF BAVARIAN BRONZE MOUNTED FLINTLOCK HOLSTER PISTOLS
A very good quality pair of Bavarian Bronze Mounted Long Flintlock Holster Pistols of early 18th Century. 20 bore round 13.375" barrels with bronze long blade fore sights. Barrels chased and engraved with scrolling foliage, bronze tangs decorated with foliage, chased and engraved bronze lockplates incorporating faceted bronze pans, steel cocks decorated en-suite (one cock a period replacement). Beautifully carved full-stocks (some handling marks as would be expected after 300 years) with raised mouldings around the tangs, locks and ramrod pipes, horn fore ends, pierced bronze side-plates, long-eared bronze butt caps, trigger guards and ramrod pipes, with horn-tipped ramrods. Overall length 20.75".
Very elegant pistols with rare bronze mounts including lockplate - bronze being harder wearing than brass. To make the mounts workable for the gunmaker, they usually used a bronze/brass mix which gives rise to a bronze colour between pure brass and pure bronze. These pistols match the quality of other Bavarian pistols of the period made by gunmakers such as Kuchenreuter.
PRICE £3,450.00
Please contact us if you are interested in purchasing this item - quoting reference: SKU 137H
The price includes UK mainland delivery. No licence is required to possess this item in the UK if owned as a curio as part of a collection or display.
BROWN BESS PATTERN 1793 LOCK £325.00
A DETACHED REGULATION TOWER MARKED BROWN BESS FLINTLOCK PATTERN 1793 (INDIA PATTERN TYPE 2) COMPLETE LOCK
A complete original Ordnance Issue Flintlock Lock for a Regulation Brown Bess, Pattern 1793 (India Pattern Type 2) with the post 1809 throat hole cock, marked TOWER and CROWN over GR with ordnance inspectors mark of crown over arrow.
Inspectors mark to inside of lockplate of Crown over 30. Excellent working order, minor rusting - see photos.
PRICE £325.00 including UK mainland delivery
Please contact us if you are interested in purchasing this item - quoting reference: SKU 138D
JOHN MANTON FLINTLOCK DUELLING PISTOL £5,500.00
A VERY GOOD 25 BORE FLINTLOCK DUELLING PISTOL BY JOHN MANTON OF LONDON
A very good flintlock duelling pistol by John Manton of London with 25 Bore 9.5" barrel, circa 1810. Re-browned large bore octagonal sighted damascus barrel (smoothbore) signed 'MANTON - LONDON' in gold capitals, two gold breech lines on inset breech, platinum lined vent, breech tang engraved with a sunburst together with foliage and stand of arms, lock (not a reconversion) with raised waterproof pan with lockplate signed MANTON with further foliage and stand of arms engraving and wheat ear lined border, matching wheat ear bevelled border to Swan neck flintcock, matching wheat ear engraving to frizzen, cam type frizzen spring (old replacement top jaw, screw and frizzen spring). Blued trigger guard and butt cap with stand of arms engraving to guard and fine acorn finial. Superbly engraved mounts. Horn tipped ramrod. Nicely figured walnut stock showing light wear, characteristic chequered butt, half stocked with horn fore end and silver barrel bolt escutcheon, old hairline crack to fore end. Vacant silver escutcheon to shoulder of stock. 15in (38 cm) overall length. No serial number present and no barrel proofs - neither of which is unusual for a Manton pistol as we have encountered many over the years previously unrecorded and/or not numbered or with proof marks. A classic duelling pistol by one of the best makers.
PRICE £5,500.00
Please contact us if you are interested in purchasing this item - quoting reference: SKU 123H
The price includes UK mainland delivery. No licence is required to possess this item in the UK if owned as a curio as part of a collection or display.
RARE SERGEANTS CARBINE FLINTLOCK £450.00
A RARE DETACHED FLINTLOCK FOR A SERGEANTS CARBINE INCLUDING SIDEPLATE
A Very Rare Original Lock and Sideplate/connecting screws/sidenails for a Regulation Issue Sergeants Flintlock Carbine. Lockplate marked TOWER and a Crown over GR with inspectors crown over arrow mark. Inside of lock with further inspectors mark of a Crown over 3. All original with excellent action, the lock has been varnished for display by a previous owner. Please note that the tumbler screw in the photo has now been tightened so is flush with lockplate behind flintcock - there is no longer a hole/void.
The Sergeants Carbine of 1807 was a lighter, shorter scaled down version of a Brown Bess used by NCO’s. They are prized by Brown Bess collectors due to their aesthetics as a smaller Brown Bess. For instance, the lockplate of the period Brown Bess was 6.9" long whereas this Sergeants Carbine lockplate is 6.2" long.
PRICE £450.00 including UK mainland delivery
Please contact us if you are interested in purchasing this item - quoting reference: SKU 133D
WILLIAM IV CAVALRY PISTOL £1,500.00
A REGULATION WILLIAM IV FLINTLOCK CAVALRY PISTOL
Description to follow
Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
PRICE £1,500.00
Please contact us if you are interested in purchasing this item - quoting reference: SKU 128D
The price includes UK mainland delivery. No licence is required to possess this item in the UK if owned as a curio as part of a collection or display.
POST BOYS PISTOL BY HARDING £1,950.00
MAIL COACH INSPECTORS OR POST BOYS PATTERN FLINTLOCK OVERCOAT PISTOL WITH BELT HOOK BY J. HARDING.
An untouched 'Sleeper' - Early 19th century Flintlock Overcoat Pistol with Belt Hook by J. Harding of Mail Coach pattern either for Inspectors of Mail Coaches or Post Boys. 5.75" smoothbore octagonal 20 bore barrel marked BOROUGH LONDON on top flat. Foliate engraved tang and screw. Stepped bevelled border engraved lock signed HARDING (no other markings visible externally - may be some internally but lock not removed to inspect due to patina) with sliding safety, roller frizzen, excellent action. Brass furniture comprising triggergard and ramrod pipes. Original ramrod. Steel belt hook. Figured full stock with rounded butt. Overall length 11". Excellent condition apart from crack to left side fore end. Lovely patina. Very original and rare to find one with the belt hook and original ramrod.
There are various references to pistols by Harding of this size and style. See "Those Entrusted with Arms" by Frederick Wilkinson, Appendix 4 pages 257-258. The mark of a crown above a broad arrow often appears on barrels and locks of this pattern. However, as Wilkinson states, this " special mark is found on many, but not all, of Harding's coaching weapons".
A very similar overcoat pistol is in the Postal Museum, exhibit 2009-0060/1 which is attributed to being carried by a Post Boy. See https://www.postalmuseum.org/blog/arming-the-post/ Also see The 89th London Antique Arms Fair Catalogue, Autumn 2012, article pages 48-49 of 'Firearms of the Mail Coach Guards' by F. Wilkinson for more useful information.
James HARDING, Gunmaker, 44 Blackman St., Borough, 1810; 38 Blackman St., 1811-24; 99 Blackman St., 1825-7; 82 Blackman St., 1828-33. Gunmaker to General Post Office (brass barrelled mail coach pistols & blunderbusses); Union Street Police Office, Southwark from 1816. James HARDING & Son Gunmakers, 82 Blackman St., Borough, 1834-6; 265 Borough High St., 1837-8; 246 High St., 1838-43. (Howard L. Blackmore -1986 - Gunmakers Of London, 1350-1850. George Shumway Publisher. USA)
PRICE £1,950.00
Please contact us if you are interested in purchasing this item - quoting reference: SKU 113D
The price includes UK mainland delivery. No licence is required to possess this item in the UK if owned as a curio as part of a collection or display
