A 16 BORE FLINTLOCK OVER-AND-UNDER OFFICER’S PISTOL WITH DETACHABLE SKELETON SHOULDER STOCK BY

A 16 BORE FLINTLOCK OVER-AND-UNDER OFFICER’S PISTOL WITH DETACHABLE SKELETON SHOULDER STOCK BY STAUDENMAYER, LONDON, NO. 1224, CIRCA 1810 with browned tapering sighted barrels signed on the upper flat and engraved with a band of foliage at the breeches, platinum-lined vents, engraved breech tang fitted with standing back-sight and decorated with a trophy-of-music, stepped bevelled locks engraved with foliage on the tails and a sunburst, fitted with sliding bolt safety-catches, 'French' cocks decorated en suite (top-jaws and screws replaced), semi-rainproof pans, and steel springs with rollers, highly figured walnut half-stock with finely chequered butt, engraved blued spurred trigger-guard decorated with a trophy-of-music on the bow, vacant silver escutcheon, engraved steel escutcheon for the shoulder stock, and swivel ramrod, together with figured walnut skeleton stock, with engraved blued spring-catch and mount, signed on the top ' Staudenmayer, London', 20.0 cm barrels Provenance William Keith Neal, sold Christie's 8th November, 1995, lot 264. The Christie's catalogue records an accompanying note by Neal that states 'this pistol belonged to Richard Preston, K.C. (1769-1852 ) of Leigh House, Chulmleigh, Devon , through the Cole family to an A. Cole from whom the pistols was purchased for £9'. Literature Richard Akehurst, The World of Guns, 1972, p. 21. Shaun Brown, Samuel Staudenmayer, Gun Maker, Cockspur Street, London, in, The Canadian Society of Arms Collecting, Vol. 40, No. 3, August 2002, p. 92 Samuel Henry Staudenmayer, Gunmaker to the Prince of Wales and Duke of York, apprenticed to John Manton and is recorded at Cockspur Street circa 1802-25.