Original British 1772 Hallmarked Silver Mounted Pair of Flintlock Pistols by Griffin & Tow with Gold Inlaid Barrels by Eudal Pous of Barcelona Spain
-
Original Items: One of a kind Pair. Occasionally we are graced with a matched pair of pistols that come directly from company director Christian Cranmer's acquisitions from over his many years as a collector.
Here is a wonderful matched pair of ornate British Flintlock pistols, fully silver mounted and probably made during 1773 or so, bearing 1772 London Hallmarks on the trigger guards. They were produced by the partnership between Joseph Griffin and John Tow, right before the start of the American Revolutionary War. Griffin & Tow were known high quality gunmakers working out of London, England between 1772 and 1782 as stated in H. Blackmore’s Gunmakers of London 1350-1850, page 104. These were undoubtedly produced for a VERY well-heeled customer, as they feature matching gold inlaid Spanish barrels, made by Eudal Pous of Barcelona, a VERY well-regarded gunmaker who would pass away in 1827. If you were looking for a fantastic pair of pistols, this might just fit the bill!
The pistols measure 16 inches in overall length, with Spanish 10 inch long two-stage round to octagon barrels, which honestly look to never have been fired. The bores are clean and smooth, both measuring approximately 0.66", with no signs of oxidation or fouling. Both feature some fantastic engraving at the transition from round to octagon, as well as some great foliate engraving worn on the barrel tangs. There are wonderful gold inlays around the breech areas, which surround the typical Spanish punzón touchmarks on the barrels, highlighted in gold, which reads:
(Crown)
EV
DAL
POVS
The polished iron lock plates are each marked GRIFFIN & TOW under the flash pan, and have beautiful high relief folate engraving on the lock plate tails, with additional engraving on the cock and the screw. The fabulous Silver mounts on each consist of masked long eared butt caps with "grotesque" masks, trigger guards, escutcheons, two ramrod pipes, and extraordinary perforated side plates. These feature lovely martial designs, and the grotesques may be the best we have seen! The escutcheons on the back of the wrists have some VERY fine engraving with banners in the middle, which could potentially be a coat of arms design, ripe for future research.
Close examination of the very end of the trigger guards next to the butt caps shows London sterling silver hallmarks, which from left to right are a capital letter "R" in a shield, the "Crowned Leopard's Head" for London, and the "Lion" Sterling Standard Mark. The last marking is I·K in a rectangle, the mark of the maker, which could possibly be Jeremiah King of London. Consulting London hallmarks shows that this is the marking for 1772, placing these pistols relatively firmly at that date, which is also right in period for the Griffin & Tow partnership.
The high quality stocks themselves both have a bit of curl to the grain, and are masterfully carved around the barrel tangs with great "shell" designs, along with some outlines around the lock plate tails. They show only light wear, with one showing some impressed rings in the stock around the lock screws, the cause of which we cannot tell. We cannot see any other issues, damage, repairs, or deficiencies. The wooden ramrods each have horn tips and one is fitted with a screw-shaped ball extractor to the rear. Condition of the pistols is very good, with very minor wear and a great patina of age. The locks both function correctly, holding at half-cock and firing at full.
These pistols are exceptional from just about any point of view. We do not get offerings like this very often at all, and this pair is truly one of a kind!
Specifications (The Pair):-
Year of Manufacture: circa 1772
Caliber: .66" Pistol
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 10 inches
Overall Length: 16 inches
Action: Flintlock Side Action
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded
NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.
- This product is not available for shipping in US state(s): New Jersey
This product is available for international shipping.
- Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon
IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.
These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.
Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.
We Buy Military Antiques
Our team expert buyers travels the world to pay fair prices for entire estate collections to singular items.
START SELLING TODAY
