A Fine Cased Pair Of 50-Bore Percussion Rifled Duelling Or Target Pistols Built For Wilhelm, Duk...

A Fine Cased Pair Of 50-Bore Percussion Rifled Duelling Or Target Pistols Built For Wilhelm, Duke Of Brunswick and Lüneburg (1806-1884) By James Purdey, 314½ Oxford Street, London, Nos. 2830 And 2831 For 1836 With browned twist octagonal sighted barrels each rifled with twelve grooves and signed in full in capitals along the top flat, blued front and back-sights, case-hardened patent breeches each with engraved borders, platinum line and pierced engraved platinum plug, case-hardened foliate scroll engraved tangs, border engraved dolphin hammers and detented flat locks signed in capitals, the last each with engraved safety-catch, ebonised half-stocks (minor old wear and bruising) with chequered rounded butts, border engraved steel mounts comprising case-hardened ovoidal butt-caps each decorated with a feathered design centred on the retaining screw engraved with a flower-head, blued trigger-guards each serial numbered on the tang and decorated with foliage on the bow, case-hardened trigger-plates each with foliate scroll engraved pineapple-shaped finial, border engraved case-hardened fore-end caps decorated en suite, blued adjustable set triggers, vacant silver escutcheons and barrel-bolt escutcheons, and in fine condition retaining virtually all their original finish: in original brass-mounted mahogany case (some accessories missing) with blued bullet mould, nipple-key, replacement powder-flask and brass inventory tags numbered '1514' and '1515', the interior of the lid with maker's trade card, the exterior with circular vacant brass escutcheon centred on a circular flush-fitting brass carrying handle, London proof marks and James Purdey's barrelsmith's mark 25.5 cm. barrels Footnotes: Provenance The Gewehrkammer of the Kings of Hanover, Blackenburg until removed to Schloss Marienburg in 1945 Sotheby's Hanover, Schloss Marienburg, Works of Art From The Royal House of Hanover, 5 October 2005, lot 897 For a .600 percussion sporting rifle built by Purdey's for the same client and sold in these Rooms see The Chris Wynn Collection..., 9 November 2022, lot 78 This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * * VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing