Product Details
CHARLES LANCASTER, LONDON
A RARE CASED PAIR OF .500 PERCUSSION RIFLED OFFICER'S or DUELLING-PISTOLS, serial no's. 499 & 500,
for 1853, with browned octagonal 10in. barrels signed on the top-flats 'CHAS LANCASTER 151 NEW BOND ST. LONDON', with squared colour-hardened patent breech-blocks, the tops inlet with a platinum line and poincons signed 'CHARLES LANCASTER, LONDON', dove-tailed bead fore-sights, standing notch rear-sights to the fronts of the colour hardened fully engraved top-tangs, platinum plugs, border and scroll engraved bar-action locks with sliding safes behind the dolphin-headed hammers (both noses repaired), the bars themselves signed 'C. LANCASTER, LONDON', walnut half-stocks with finely chequered bag-shaped butts, each fitted with an engraved rounded iron butt-cap with rear tail, guarded plain triggers, rectangular clipped corner escutcheons to the wrists and barrel keys, moulded horn fore-end tips and horn tipped mahogany ramrods with blunted ends, both pistols in a remarkable state of preservation and appearing little used with the majority of their original finish and colour intact and complete with their makers mahogany case (closure hooks absent), replacement original trade-label inside lid, the tray lined and compartmented in green baize and complete with an authentification certificate from Charles Lancaster (Gunmakers) Ltd.
Provenance: Previously sold as part of the Grant, Lang and Lancaster Collection, Christies, 1993.
The Maker's records state these pistols were produced for a Mr P. Hay in 1853 at a cost of £37.16..00. Popular tradition has it however that they were never collected and remained on hand at the show rooms of Charles Lancaster as example of workmanship and style
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Estimate £6,000-8,000