Product Details
HENRY ATKIN LTD.
AN EXCEPTIONAL PORTSMOUTH-ENGRAVED AMERICAN CIVIL WAR THEMED 12-BORE SELF-OPENING PINLESS SIDELOCK EJECTOR, serial no. 24065,
28in. nitro chopperlump barrels, the rib gold-inlaid 'HENRY ATKIN' and engraved 'LONDON. ENGLAND.' with Confederate style gold line frogging design at the breech end, the tubes carved at the breech with stylised 'stars and stripes' designs and with a single gold line detail, the undersides of the barrels engraved with quotations from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and from General Lee in a letter to his wife from Fredericksburg; "FROM THESE HONOURED DEAD WE TAKE INCREASED DEVOTION TO THAT CAUSE FOR WHICH THEY GAVE THE LAST FULL MEASURE OF DEVOTION." ABRAHAM LINCOLN - NOV 19TH 1863' and '"MY HEART BLEEDS AT THE DEATH OF EVERY ONE OF OUR GALLANT MEN" ROBERT E. LEE - DEC 25TH 1862', 2 3/4in. chambers, bored approx. 1/4 and 1/2 choke, automatic safety with gold-inlaid 'SAFE' detail, gold-inlaid cocking-indicators, Holland & Holland style self-opening system, double rolled-edge triggerguard, the whole carved and exquisitely engraved with symbols and scenes from the American Civil War;
the fences with mottos and finely engraved partial representations of contemporary flags, the left fence with the Confederate 'Deo Vindice' and the stars and bars, the right with the motto from the Great Seal of the United States 'E PLURIBUS UNUM' and the stars and stripes, the toplever with gold studs and a representation of the Great Seal bald eagle with wings displayed, holding the arrows and olive branch, the thumbpiece carved in relief with the Star of Texas, the topstrap finely engraved with a powder flask, to the left of the action and sideplate with portraits of General Robert E. Lee and General Ulysses S. Grant in front of the McLean House, Appomattox, Virginia where Lee surrendered, the action bar with '"IT IS WELL THAT WAR IS SO TERRIBLE, LEST WE SHOULD GROW TOO FOND OF IT". ROBERT E LEE - DEC 13TH 1862', and with a Gatling gun to the front, the underside with the scene of Abraham Lincoln taking the Oath of Office on March 4th 1865, being sworn in by Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase, to the right portraits of Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln in front of the Capitol Building, the Dome still under construction, the action bar with '"GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE. BY THE PEOPLE. FOR THE PEOPLE. SHALL NOT PERISH FROM THE EARTH." ABRAHAM LINCOLN - NOV 19TH 1863', and with a field gun to the front, the triggerguard with a scene of two infantrymen grappling over a Confederate flag, the triggerguard tang with crossed cavalry sabres, the whole with single gold line bordering, bright finish overall, 16in. highly-figured stock, the fore-end iron with the Great Seal Eagle, weight 6lb. 12oz., in its fitted leather case with full complement of ebony and nickel plated accessories
Other Notes: Allan Portsmouth has kindly informed us that he spent over 1000 man hours completing the remarkable engraving on the gun...in his words 'a real labour of love'.
Allan was born in 1964 and in 1980 at the age of 16 was an apprentice to Ken Preater at Holland & Holland. He has been engraving freelance since 1990 and has done commissions for Holland & Holland, Asprey, William & Son, Ray Ward, Westley Richards and William Evans covering all aspects, engraving scrollwork, carving, gold inlay and fine bulino scenes.
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Estimate £40,000-50,000
S2 - Sold as a Section 2 Firearm under the 1968 Firearms Act