Historic Firearms & Early Militaria
Historic Firearms & Early Militaria
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Description
American Restocked French Model 1777 Marine Musket
Lot # 1 (Sale Order: 1 of 460)
Condition: Good. Metal with a deeply oxidized plum brown patina and some scattered pitting, particularly around the breech that suggest time spent used in a percussion configuration. Examination of the breech with a remote camera shows what appears to be a very old welded repair at the breech as part of the re-conversion. The breech plug tang shows old damage, suggesting it was roughly removed at some point in time. A previous owner's social security number is electric penciled into the left side of the barrel. Lock is mechanically functional; bore is dark, dirty and moderately pitted. Stock good with numerous cracks and repairs, particularly around the wrist and lock mortise area.
EST $ 1000 - 1500
Continental Flintlock Musket
Lot # 2 (Sale Order: 2 of 460)
Condition: Very good. Metal cleaned to bright, some of the assembly numbers weak from cleaning. Some very minor arms of light pinpricking are present, as well as some lightly scattered surface oxidation. Mechanically functional, moderately oxidized bore with light even pitting. Stock lightly cleaned with crisp edges and lines, showing some scattered bumps, dings and minor mars. There is some minor slivering around the triggergaurd tang that appears to be from poor fitting and a small chip out behind the breech plug tang.
EST $ 1000 - 2000
Raised Carved Kentucky Flintlock Fullstock Rifle By John Shuler
Lot # 3 (Sale Order: 3 of 460)
Condition: Good. Barrel with a mottled and oxidized plum brown and gray patina with some scattered light pitting that heavy at the breech from use as a percussion rifle. Reconverted to flint. Lock mechanically functional with some pitting. 8-groove bore with crisp rifling and scattered pitting. Brass with an uncleaned patina, German silver deeply tarnished. Stock with numerous bumps, dings and mars, showing extensive repairs through the lock mortise area, and some smaller repairs in the forend. A chip is missing from the toe, as well as a piece of the toe plate.
EST $ 3000 - 5000
Breech-Loading Flintlock Rifle by Sykes
Lot # 4 (Sale Order: 4 of 460)
Condition: Good. Retains traces of blue on the barrel with an evenly oxidized plum brown patina with some scattered surface roughness. Mechanically functional, clear markings, good bore with some pitting. Breech screw cap with mars and wear from inappropriate and forced removal. Forend shortened, remaining stock with scattered bumps, dings and mars. Charger very good.
EST $ 2000 - 3000
North Carolina Long Rifle Signed DG
Lot # 5 (Sale Order: 5 of 460)
Condition: Very good. Metal with mottled brown and gray patina with some surface oxidation and light pitting. Moderate pitting around breech attests to the time this rifle spent as a percussion gun. Some vise marks are present around the breech area and the tang shows some minor vise damage as well. Lock with moderate pitting, remaining mechanically functional, 7-groove bore very good with crisp rifling and scattered pitting. Brass with a medium golden patina, German silver with a thick, uncleaned patina. Stock very good showing scattered bumps, dings, impact marks and mars. A small repair is present at the toe, some pins in the forend are replaced and others are missing.
EST $ 3000 - 5000
Flintlock Kentucky Rifle
Lot # 6 (Sale Order: 6 of 460)
Condition: Good. Metal a mottled brown and gray patina with scattered oxidation. Metal mostly smooth with an old cleaning and pitting around the breech suggesting a reconversion to flint. Rear sight an old replacement. Lock needs mechanical attention, bore evenly pitted and oxidized with good rifling. Stock with wear, some added finish, a couple of repaired cracks and slivers in the forend, a repaired crack under the lock and some missing and replaced wood around the pins.
EST $ 1000 - 1500
Flintlock Kentucky Rifle by Leonard Reedy
Lot # 7 (Sale Order: 7 of 460)
Condition: Good. Metal with evenly oxidized brown patina showing some moderate pitting around the breech suggesting a reconversion to flint from a percussion drum. Markings legible, lock needs adjustment to be reliable. Bore moderately pitted with strong rifling and is quite dirty. Brass mostly unclean with a nice mustard patina. Stock lightly sanded and refinished with some minor repairs to cracks minor damage in the foreign, with a more major repair around the rear of the lock mortise where added brown finish attempts to conceal the work. Otherwise with the usual scattered bumps and dings.
EST $ 2000 - 4000
Flintlock Kentucky Rifle by LWP with Two Patchboxes
Lot # 8 (Sale Order: 8 of 460)
Condition: Good as restored. Metal with plum brown appearance that appears to be a combination of age and chemical patination. Tang repaired, lock reconverted, toe plate damaged. Lock mechanically functional, good bore with even oxidation and scattered pitting. Forend replaced, stock sanded and refinished with repaired cracks forward and to the rear of the lock.
EST $ 1500 - 2500
Fullstock Flintlock Rifle
Lot # 9 (Sale Order: 9 of 460)
Condition: Good. Metal with a fairly even plum patina with patches of oxidation and some light pitting around the touchhole and the breech. Breech plug tang (and accompanying plug) may be of more recent vintage, as is the modern lock. Lock mechanically functional, bore good, heavily oxidized and showing even pitting with deep rifling. Most of the brass furniture has an uncleaned patina. Stock good with the usual minor repairs to the forend with numerous repaired cracks and some added pieces of wood. Numerous wood repairs are present around the lock, with a large piece replaced between the lock and tang and piece missing forward of the lock. Stock sanded and refinished with some areas of additional finish added in an attempt to conceal repaired cracks and areas of added wood. A repaired crack is present at the toe as well.
EST $ 6000 - 9000
Fullstock Flintlock Kentucky Rifle By JH
Lot # 10 (Sale Order: 10 of 460)
Condition: Good. Metal with a mottled and moderately oxidized patina showing areas of brown and gray with some surface roughness, scattered pitting and more moderate pitting at the breech. Rifle is likely reconverted to flint from a percussion drum conversion, based upon the significant erosion at the breech. Mechanically functional, good bore with strong rifling is very dirty and evenly pitted. Brass furniture is mostly untouched, except for the bright entry pipe. Stock sanded and refinished with several repaired cracks in the forend and significant amounts of wood loss along the upper edges of the forend on both sides. Additional repairs are present around the lock mortise where some wood is added and through the triggerguard area and the reverse butt, where added finish conceals apparent repaired cracks.
EST $ 3000 - 6000
Fullstock Flintlock Kentucky Rifle By William Kelsay
Lot # 11 (Sale Order: 11 of 460)
Condition: Good. Metal with a mottled and oxidized brown and gray coloration, showing some surface roughness and scattered pitting, particularly around the breech where the pitting is more significant. Mechanically functional, bore is dark, dirty and heavily oxidized with deep rifling. Brass with a nice untouched ocher patina, with the exception of the entry pipe that has been cleaned to a golden color. Stock with wear, scattered bumps and bruises and the usual small repairs in the forend. There is about a 5" repair along the stock line on the reverse at the nose cap, with a similar repair about half that length on the obverse in the same general area. A grain crack runs about half the length of the ramrod channel, starting at the nose cap, and there is the usual wood loss around many of the pins and at the breech plug tang. A couple of small cracks are also present around the lock area and at the rear lock screw. The stock appears to have been lightly sanded as well.
EST $ 3500 - 7000
Fullstock Flintlock Kentucky Buck & Ball Rifle
Lot # 12 (Sale Order: 12 of 460)
Condition: Good. Barrel with a fairly even oxidized plum patina showing some mottling and and scattered light pitting. Markings remain clear. Lock reconverted to flint with all external parts replaced and not currently functional. Bore smooth and moderately oxidized with some even pitting. Stock with wear and wood loss along the forend, where several slivers have been replaced along the top edge on both sides and a long repaired crack is present on the reverse. A crack is present running in the ramrod channel from the nose cap past the middle pipe. Both pipes may be replacements, and possibly the nose cap as well. Substantial amounts of wood are replaced around the lock mortise, with a 4.5" long piece added under the lock at the triggerguard. Other scattered areas around the lock and counterpane show small repairs and cracks. Stock refinished and showing scattered bumps, dings and mars. Despite the many short comings of the stock in terms of condition and repairs, the rifle remains very attractive with a graceful silhouette and nice furniture.
EST $ 2500 - 5000
Rare 16th Century Combination Powder Tester, Primer And Spanner Wrench
Lot # 13 (Sale Order: 13 of 460)
Condition: All metal is sharp and crisp with gunmetal gray look, some staining. Overall excellent for this rare 16th-century accoutrement.
EST $ 750 - 1500
Early Engraved Flat Powder Horn G. Tobias Dated 1753
Lot # 14 (Sale Order: 14 of 460)
Condition: Overall excellent with nice untouched dark yellow to amber patina. All markings are very sharp and clear.
EST $ 1700 - 2400
16th &17th Century Cranequin (Crossbow Winder)
Lot # 15 (Sale Order: 15 of 460)
Condition: Darkening throughout with stable split in handle. Mechanically functional.
EST $ 1000 - 1500
The Last Testament of Wm G. Rutherford Mentioning His Lloyd's £100 Sword Won for Action at Trafalgar
Lot # 16 (Sale Order: 16 of 460)
This unique last will and testament of the only British captain at Trafalgar born in America at Wilmington, North Carolina in 1764 is of the most compelling historical significance to the collector of Lloyds Patriotic swords or Napoleonica. The will is written in a masterful hand with the usual artistic flourishes used by notaries (lawyers) of the period in brown ink and repeatedly mentions Captain Rutherford's "Trafalgar medal and sword" stating that "I bequeath to such son my Trafalgar Medal and sword and if I should have no sons..." The heroic captain did not have any sons and his cased Patriotic sword was bequeathed to his nephew upon his death as per the will's instructions.
The will repeatedly mentions the medal and sword as they were of the utmost importance and value to the captain. In 1800 the pay for a British post captain of a First Rate ship of the line such as the Swiftsure was less than 400 pounds a year so a 100 pound sword represented more than a quarter of Rutherford's annual salary. Many captains chose a cash award rather than a Lloyds sword or a Lloyds silver vase in consequence. A portrait of Captain Rutherford in full dress uniform and cradling his beloved sword is on display at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. The document remains in fine completely legible condition and would substantially enhance not only the monetary value but more importantly the historical value of the Rutherford sword. Regardless Rutherford's will delight any collector of arms and relics from the Age of Fighting Sail.
Captain Rutherford's superb 100 pound Lloyds sword sold at James D. Julia's March 2017 auction as lot 1231, for the world record price of $270,250.
Condition: EST $ 15000 - 25000
Engraved Plaque for a Cased Lloyds of London Sword Presented to Lt. Thos. Robt. Pye
Lot # 17 (Sale Order: 17 of 460)
Condition: Nice aged patina. Engraving is clear.
EST $ 1000 - 2000
Engraved Plaque for a Cased Lloyds of London Sword Presented to Major Abraham Augustus Nunn
Lot # 18 (Sale Order: 18 of 460)
Condition: The plaque has nice aged patina with sharp engraving.
EST $ 1000 - 2000
Wheelock Pistol
Lot # 19 (Sale Order: 19 of 460)
Condition: Barrel and lockplate have been cleaned in the European manner. The stock has blackened look. No repairs. Bone inlays with nice yellow patina. Overall a very good example of a 17th Century wheellock pistol.
EST $ 2000 - 3500
Rare All Brass Boxlock Flintlock Pistol by Joyner
Lot # 20 (Sale Order: 20 of 460)
Condition: Excellent overall, very sharp and crisp engraving. Nice mellowed look.
EST $ 1500 - 2500
Early Austrian Flintlock Pistol by Peter Planer
Lot # 21 (Sale Order: 21 of 460)
Condition: Fine. Metal cleaned to bright in the European fashion, with some scattered discoloration and light oxidation on the steel. Brass mounted cleaned to bright as well. Lock with crisp and clear engraving, mechanically functional and with a fine bore. Wood crisp with some tiny repairs to the forend moulding near the nose cap, a couple of grain cracks in the forend and some pin holes in the stock with wood filler.
EST $ 1500 - 3000
Late 18th Century French Double Barrel Flintlock Pistol by Bichard
Lot # 22 (Sale Order: 22 of 460)
Condition: Very good. Barrels retain traces of finish with an attractive and lightly oxidized patina, retaining much of their gold gilt decoration. Mechanically functional, good bores with moderate oxidation. Stock very good with crisp raised carving, scattered bumps and dings, some minor repairs around the lock mortises and some likely repairs concealed by thickly added brown stain between the locks and the tang. A really lovely, late 18th century pistol.
EST $ 2500 - 5000
Classic Silver-Mounted Flintlock Pistol by Joseph Heylin Circa 1750's
Lot # 23 (Sale Order: 23 of 460)
Condition: Barrel and lock have been cleaned long ago and has begun to patinate. Silver is excellent. The stock is excellent. An excellent example of early flintlock pistol silver mounted.
EST $ 2000 - 3000
Three-Barrel Tap Action with Folding Bayonet by John Gardner
Lot # 24 (Sale Order: 24 of 460)
Condition: Very good. Barrels a mottled and oxidized brown and gray patina. Brass with a golden patina. Mechanically functional, safety does not lock the pan. Snap bayonet does not lock into place when deployed due to damaged locking spring. Bores good but oxidized, grip with scattered bumps and dings.
EST $ 2000 - 3000
Early Bresican Flintlock Pistol
Lot # 25 (Sale Order: 25 of 460)
Condition: The condition is excellent overall. With nice sharp and crisp lines. Metal with a dull gray look. The stock is excellent overall.
EST $ 2000 - 3500