Lot 91
91
A VERY FINE SILVER- AND GOLD-MOUNTED SINGLE-TRIGGER OVER-AND-UNDER FLINTLOCK POCKET PISTOL MADE FOR THE PRINCE REGENT, LATER KING GEORGE IV, with blued octagonal barrels, the upper one sighted and signed in gold, the lower one engraved with the address, gold breech lines and platinum-lined touch-holes, case-hardened tang engraved with a tiger's head, signed case-hardened locks each with blued external mainspring, roller, rainproof pan, and safety-catch, the 'French' cocks engraved as marine monsters and with blued top jaws and screws, chequered figured walnut butt, engraved silver trigger-guard and pommel, the latter with gold cap engraved with the arms of the Prince Regent, small gold escutcheon engraved with a crown, and original blued iron ramrod with chequered tip, in pristine condition throughout: in its tooled and gilt leather-covered case lined in plum velvet, the lid with maker's label of Potefer, Gainier, Quai de L'horloge No.73 à Paris, by Joseph Egg, No.1 Piccadilly, London, No. 2305, circa 1818

Details
A VERY FINE SILVER- AND GOLD-MOUNTED SINGLE-TRIGGER OVER-AND-UNDER FLINTLOCK POCKET PISTOL MADE FOR THE PRINCE REGENT, LATER KING GEORGE IV, with blued octagonal barrels, the upper one sighted and signed in gold, the lower one engraved with the address, gold breech lines and platinum-lined touch-holes, case-hardened tang engraved with a tiger's head, signed case-hardened locks each with blued external mainspring, roller, rainproof pan, and safety-catch, the 'French' cocks engraved as marine monsters and with blued top jaws and screws, chequered figured walnut butt, engraved silver trigger-guard and pommel, the latter with gold cap engraved with the arms of the Prince Regent, small gold escutcheon engraved with a crown, and original blued iron ramrod with chequered tip, in pristine condition throughout: in its tooled and gilt leather-covered case lined in plum velvet, the lid with maker's label of Potefer, Gainier, Quai de L'horloge No.73 à Paris, by Joseph Egg, No.1 Piccadilly, London, No. 2305, circa 1818
6 1/8in.

Lot Essay

A similar pistol made for the Prince Regent is in the W. Keith Neal Collection, illustrated in W. Keith Neal & D.H.L. Back, British Gunmakers Their Trade Cards, Cases and Equipment, plates 348-9

The Prince Regent was born on 12 August 1762, the eldest son of George III and Queen Charlotte. He was crowned George IV in January, 1820, having been Prince Regent since 1811. He died in 1830. His interest in weapons was encouraged from an early age, and he became a leading patron of the principal gunmakers around the turn of the century. His collection of weapons, antique and modern, formed the Carlton House Armoury, which was the basis of the present Royal Collection at Windsor.
The Prince Regent's extravagance led to large personal debts - (160,000 by 1783, aggravated by the remodelling of Carlton House and the building of the Royal Pavilion at Brighton. In 1795 over (600,000 of his debts were liquidated by Parliament. These debts included large sums owed to gunmaker: to Durs Egg (1,837; to John Knubley (373; to John Manton (113; to Robert Wogdon (148 and to Henry Nock (281

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