Very Unusual Highly Decorated London Made Flintlock Holster or Dueling Pistol by Jover & Sons With Relief Silver Mounts & Gold Inlay

Very Unusual Highly Decorated London Made Flintlock Holster or Duelling Pistol by Jover & Sons With Relief Silver Mounts & Gold Inlay.

01-21990

Cal. 67 smooth bore
S# NSN

Best quality London pistols are known for their understated high quality & little embellishment. This high art, relief cast silver mounted example is an interesting exception. It has 11 1/8″ swamped octagon barrel with solid silver under rib & gold lined touch hole. Rear of barrel is stamped with 3 poincon. Central, on top is marked “JOVER” “& SON” “LONDON” all under a crown. Two flanking stamps depict relief renderings of lions rampant. Barrel is further embellished with flush gold inlay having swags of acanthus & shield motif at center, 4 bands of acanthus at rear, & a single band around muzzle. London gunmakers proofs are on bottom right flat where covered by stock. Breech iron has gold acanthus at top front & deep relief engraved flower & shell motifs behind integral sight. Flint lock, with rebated tail is fitted with serpentine cock, fully waterproof gold lined pan, roller frizzen, (roller is on feather spring which is nicely filed with bulbous finial). Lock internals show well filed termination to main spring & circular fancy bridle. Lock is also finely embellished with gold inlaid acanthus on chamfers of cock & lockplate. Central area under pan & face of cock are flush gold inlaid with sheild & flags. “JOVER” is engraved on scroll at center. Tail of lockplate is also engraved with sheild & flags. Frizen is engraved with swags of acanthus. Trigger is set. Half stock with horn tip is of dark root European walnut & is silver mounted. Mounts consist of releif cast trigger guard with armorial elements of helmet & flags for finial. Trigger guard bow depicts a shield & more flags. Trigger guard has been gilded & this treatment extends to central oval of grip cap which depicts a full relief knight in armor with helm. Grip cap itself is not gilded and is full relief cast with cannon, flags, shields & power kegs. Side spurs have gadrooning. Multi pierced sideplate is also high relief cast with armor, flags, helmet, etc. Crestplate at top of grip is of armorial design surmounted by helmet set with an emerald. Silver thimble is relief cast. Rear of trigger guard is stamped with hallmarks for London, Sterling, kings head (after 1784), makers initials “M.B.” (Moses Brent) & date stamp “o” (1789-90). This date corresponds to the time when the Jovers, William & his son William were in partnership working as Jover & Son between 1784 & 1796. Stock is further embellished with silver wire inlay of scrolls & dots around grip & breech iron tang, with inlaid floral decoration behind tang. Stock mounts to barrel with single captive side bolt through oval feather burst engraved silver escutcheons. Greenheart ramrod with engraved silver tip and steel worm tail mounts through beaded silver pipe & matching thimble.

ANTIQUE