A FINE PAIR OF GERMAN WHEEL-LOCK SPORTING RIFLES, with minor differences, the dated barrels each rifled with alternating broad and narrow grooves, grooved behind the back-sight, and struck with maker's stamp AF, a bird beneath (similar to Neue Støckel 1848), and twice with the Gotha mark (Neue Støckel 1447), the locks with domed silver wheel-covers pierced and engraved with tulips, chiselled cocks, pierced and engraved silver bridles to the cock-springs, stained figured fruitwood full stocks inlaid with horn lines and horn plaques engraved with marine monsters, berries, foliage, a bird, a hare, and a stag, and on each cheek-piece with a horse, behind each barrel tang a small plaque engraved with stockmaker's initials IG, set triggers, pierced iron trigger-guards, engraved horn butt-plates and fore-end caps, the patch-box covers engraved respectively with a male and female portrait bust, original horn-tipped wooden ramrods (one ramrod-pipe and both pan-cover release buttons missing), dated 1655