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A VERY RARE FRENCH FIRST EMPIRE PILL-LOCK RIFLED PISTOL FOR A GENERAL OFFICER, BY LEPAGE À PARIS, ARQER DE L'EMPEREUR

NO. 37, DATED 1811

Details

A VERY RARE FRENCH FIRST EMPIRE PILL-LOCK RIFLED PISTOL FOR A GENERAL OFFICER, BY LEPAGE À PARIS, ARQER DE L'EMPEREUR
No. 37, dated 1811
With blued swamped octagonal barrel signed in large gold script, decorated with gilt bands around the muzzle, blued iron fore-sight, the breech gilt within punched panels, a stylised urn of flowers punched engraved and gilt on the top flat, gold-lined vent and cut with micro groove rifled bore, engraved case-hardened breech tang incorporating back-sight of blued steel and numbered 1, bevelled case-hardened lock with large gold-lined maker's stamp inscribed 'à Paris', finely engraved with a flaming grenade at the rear and with a serpent on the hammer, pivoted striker moving on a blued spring, highly figured walnut half-stock, chequered butt with carved ebony pommel, the latter inset with a General officer's regulation silver Medusa mask cap finely cast in relief, case-hardened steel mounts finely engraved with neo-classical ornament including trigger-plate finial formed as an elaborate urn of fruit, set trigger, the barrel, lock and breech tang all numbered 'N.37' and 'A 1811' on the concealed surfaces, and with much original finish throughout; together dispencer for fulminate pills, with brass nozzle with spring cut-off, octagonal mahogany body and threaded domed cap with suspension ring.
14½in (36.9cm) and 5in (12.8cm) (2)

Literature

G. Dintroz, B. Croissy and Alaric, Le Nouveau Système d'Armes de Lepage, G.d.A., No. 240, January 1994.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

Jean Lepage (1746-1834) worked in Paris from 1779-1822. He patented his nouveau système d'armes a fulminate on 28 April 1810

Examples designated to be carried by a General of the First Empire army are very rare.

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