A Very Rare Cased Pair Of 22-Bore Flintlock Single-Trigger Over And Under Pistols by John Manton, London, Nos. 4205 And 4206 For 1804.

With rebrowned twist octagonal scratch-rifled barrels, the top barrels each signed in gold capitals along the top flat and with gold fore-sight, gold line at the rear and gold-lined touch-hole, border engraved tangs each decorated with a martial trophy, foliage and with a starburst behind the large back-sight, signed border engraved case-hardened flat locks each decorated with a small martial trophy on the tail, border engraved 'French' cocks, the top jaws numbered respectively with a foliate '1' and '2', semi-rainproof pans, and steels each with roller bearing on a ramp on the blued steel-spring, flattened chequered figured butts, blued steel trigger-guards each serial numbered in an oval against a martial trophy on the border engraved bow, gold escutcheons engraved with owner's crest, horn-tipped ramrods, probably original, and some original finish: in original lined and fitted mahogany case (two compartments with minor repairs) with accessories including unusual brass-mounted three-way powder-flask with body covered in red leather, turnscrew, double-ended bone pan brush and leather flint wallet, the interior of the lid with maker's trade label (minor damage) for circa 1798-1815, the exterior (some old bruising, old split along the back) with circular flush-fitting brass carrying handle centred on a circular brass escutcheon engraved with owner's crest 

Provenance:

Field Marshal Sir Francis Festing, GCB, KBE, DSO, DL. Almost certainly acquired from his friend and fellow collector W. Keith Neal

Sotheby's London, Military Pictures, Medals, Arms & Militaria, 17 September 1992, lot 260

Sold at Bonhams, Antique Arms, Modern Sporting Guns & Exceptional Firearms, 3 December 2020, lot 358

Literature

W. Keith Neal and D.H.L. Back, The Mantons: Gunmakers, 1996, p. 81

D.H.L. Back, Great British Gunmakers: The Mantons 1782-1878, 1993, p.33

The crest is that of Sir Thomas Dyke Acland (1787-1871), 10th Baronet of Column John, and Tory Member of Parliament for Devon. The family had considerable estates at Holnicote and were created Baronets for their support of Charles I

Dimensions: 

Bore: 22 Bore

Barrel Length:

Overall Length: