A very scarce pair of cased flintlock pistols by Joseph Manton

dating: about 1810 provenance: London, Octagonal, rifled, browned, 12 mm cal barrels (clean bores, very worn rifling) with different decorations, with silver frame at the base, vent and silver mark 'JOSEPH MANTON PATENT' (Stoeckel Nr. 7855), front sight; tangs finely engrave with flowers. Locks of very high quality, signed 'JOSEPH MANTON LONDON', engraved with rays and floral decorations, provided with anti-friction, watertight and safe system. Wooden half stocks with checkered handle, horn fore-end cap, iron mounts with beautiful Empire-style engravings, both with number '6236' on the trigger guard, batteries with serial numbers '8030' and '8031'. Horn-tipped, wooden ramrods with brass cartridge extractor. In their original wooden case with brass mounts, foldaway handle. Lined with green cloth, the lid with the label 'Joseph Manton Gun Maker Davies Street Berkeley Square London.'. Complete with tools (not necessarily pertinent), a double flask for powder and pellets, a screwdriver and more; the compartments outlined with wood featuring deer-horn buttons and lock-plaque; complete with key. For Joseph Manton see 'Der Neue Stoeckel', vol. II, page 753. Joseph Manton, who was also imprisoned for debt, was one of the most skilled gunsmiths of his time. He got a lot of patents in the years 1792-1825. length 39 cm.