EXQUISITE PAIR OF DICKSON PERCUSSION DUELING PISTOLS WITH ORIGINAL CASE, ACCESSORIES, AND OUTER COVER, MADE FOR CHARLES GORDON.

EXQUISITE PAIR OF DICKSON PERCUSSION DUELING PISTOLS WITH ORIGINAL CASE, ACCESSORIES, AND OUTER COVER, MADE FOR CHARLES GORDON. SN 4894/ 4895. (ca. 1897) Cal. .590. This wonderful pair of pistols was made for the noted eccentric collector, Charles Gordon, who commissioned dozens of anachronistic high quality guns from many of Britain’s top gun makers, most notably Dickson’s of Edinburgh. These guns replicate a pair of dueling pistols from the 1830’2 or 1840’s, featuring 10″ octagonal browned twist bbls of large caliber, and smooth bore, in this case mounted with express sights. Tops of bbls are engraved “John Dickson & Son. 63 Princes Street Edinburgh.” with “1” and “2” for each gun, respectively. Percussion patent breeches have engraved platinum “blow-outs” and inlaid platinum bands fore and aft. Breech irons with integral fences are nicely scroll engraved and marked either “1” or “2”. Case hardened back action peninsula locks are fitted with rifle style flat bodied hammers. Front sliding safety bolts engage hammers at half cock. Locks and hammers are engraved with exceptionally well cut small shaded scroll. “John Dickson & Son” is in scrolled ribands on each plate. Charcoal blued scroll engraved trigger guards have pineapple finials and SNs on tangs. Nicely streaked, and slightly figured stocks extend to muzzles, are affixed to bbls with two side nails through engraved oval steel escutcheons. Scroll engraved ramrod pipes hold rosewood ramrods with brass tulip heads and rounded tails. Stocks terminate in case hardened steel capped butts with wraparound flat top coarse checkering, and have vacant gold oval crest plates at tops of grips. Pistols are housed in quartered oak case with pivoting hook closures, inlet brass corners, and central brass disk on lid. D-ring brass carrying handle is on right side. Case is lined with diamond embossed tan leather, with light chocolate brown gold-embossed pigskin Dickson label on lid. Case compartments are both semi-French fitted, and full French-fitted, holding a fine array of original accessories, as was much loved by Mr. Gordon. Accessories include a turned boxwood patch container, another one matching for caps; 2 turned ivory bottles, each containing a spare nipple marked “1” or “2”; two small copper bodied “C & J. W. Hawksley” powder flasks; two “Davis Improved” round ball molds marked “No. 25”; single Hawksley pewter oil bottle; single polished steel and case hardened patch cutter marked “S.A”; two horn handled Hawksley turnscrews; horn handled nipple key; rosewood loading rod with ovoid ebony top, and brass jag tip; and two spare ramrods with brass tulip heads, and tails with steel worms under caps. Quartered oak central box with sliding cover contains some round lead balls. There are two covered compartments with brass knobs, one containing the original key. This spectacular case comes with its original harness leather outer cover, lined with mattress ticking, with four flap closure, secured by two straps. There are two lateral belts around outer cover for added security. Heavy leather carrying handle is on end opposite flaps. Top of case cover is embossed “CHARLES GORDON ESQ”. PROVENANCE: 1965 Factory letter with factory records, and old description of the pistols. CONDITION: Exceptionally fine, near new, possibly unfired. Pistols retain nearly all their orig brilliant finish, with only the slightest silvering on the sharpest edges of bbls, and barely noticeable thinning of case color on tail of lock on pistol no. “1”. Stocks retain nearly all of their French polish finish with only a few very light handling marks, and one or 2 deeper knocks with some slight chipping of finish toward muzzle of pistol no. “1”. Bright blue of trigger guards has some flaking at grips. Bores are bright and shiny, and appear to have their orig polish. Locks are crisp. Exterior finish of case is excellent, with only a few minor marks and some lifting of lacquer on brass. Interior leather is very fine, showing some compressions and rubs, from contact with guns and accessories. Label is excellent except a minor rub in center from brass knob of central compartment. All accessories are generally excellent. One spare ramrod is a replacement, being of ebony and not rosewood. Outer cover is very fine, leather still light in color with many minor marks and some darkening and lifting of grain on corners, some of which are beginning to come unstitched. Closure flaps are fine, but show cracking and lifting of grain, and becoming brittle. One of the closure straps is missing, and one of the straps around case has tongue detached, the other repaired. 4-45078 MGM195 (15,000-25,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2012

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	1206	$20,700.00	EXQUISITE PAIR OF DICKSON PERCUSSION DUELING PISTOLS WITH ORIGINAL CASE, ACCESSORIES, AND OUTER COVER, MADE FOR CHARLES GORDON. SN 4894/ 4895. (ca. 1897) Cal. .590. This wonderful pair of pistols was made for the noted eccentric collector, Charles Gordon, who commissioned dozens of anachronistic high quality guns from many of Britain’s top gun makers, most notably Dickson’s of Edinburgh. These guns replicate a pair of dueling pistols from the 1830’2 or 1840’s, featuring 10″ octagonal browned twist bbls of large caliber, and smooth bore, in this case mounted with express sights. Tops of bbls are engraved “John Dickson & Son. 63 Princes Street Edinburgh.” with “1” and “2” for each gun, respectively. Percussion patent breeches have engraved platinum “blow-outs” and inlaid platinum bands fore and aft. Breech irons with integral fences are nicely scroll engraved and marked either “1” or “2”. Case hardened back action peninsula locks are fitted with rifle style flat bodied hammers. Front sliding safety bolts engage hammers at half cock. Locks and hammers are engraved with exceptionally well cut small shaded scroll. “John Dickson & Son” is in scrolled ribands on each plate. Charcoal blued scroll engraved trigger guards have pineapple finials and SNs on tangs. Nicely streaked, and slightly figured stocks extend to muzzles, are affixed to bbls with two side nails through engraved oval steel escutcheons. Scroll engraved ramrod pipes hold rosewood ramrods with brass tulip heads and rounded tails. Stocks terminate in case hardened steel capped butts with wraparound flat top coarse checkering, and have vacant gold oval crest plates at tops of grips. Pistols are housed in quartered oak case with pivoting hook closures, inlet brass corners, and central brass disk on lid. D-ring brass carrying handle is on right side. Case is lined with diamond embossed tan leather, with light chocolate brown gold-embossed pigskin Dickson label on lid. Case compartments are both semi-French fitted, and full French-fitted, holding a fine array of original accessories, as was much loved by Mr. Gordon. Accessories include a turned boxwood patch container, another one matching for caps; 2 turned ivory bottles, each containing a spare nipple marked “1” or “2”; two small copper bodied “C & J. W. Hawksley” powder flasks; two “Davis Improved” round ball molds marked “No. 25”; single Hawksley pewter oil bottle; single polished steel and case hardened patch cutter marked “S.A”; two horn handled Hawksley turnscrews; horn handled nipple key; rosewood loading rod with ovoid ebony top, and brass jag tip; and two spare ramrods with brass tulip heads, and tails with steel worms under caps. Quartered oak central box with sliding cover contains some round lead balls. There are two covered compartments with brass knobs, one containing the original key. This spectacular case comes with its original harness leather outer cover, lined with mattress ticking, with four flap closure, secured by two straps. There are two lateral belts around outer cover for added security. Heavy leather carrying handle is on end opposite flaps. Top of case cover is embossed “CHARLES GORDON ESQ”. PROVENANCE: 1965 Factory letter with factory records, and old description of the pistols. CONDITION: Exceptionally fine, near new, possibly unfired. Pistols retain nearly all their orig brilliant finish, with only the slightest silvering on the sharpest edges of bbls, and barely noticeable thinning of case color on tail of lock on pistol no. “1”. Stocks retain nearly all of their French polish finish with only a few very light handling marks, and one or 2 deeper knocks with some slight chipping of finish toward muzzle of pistol no. “1”. Bright blue of trigger guards has some flaking at grips. Bores are bright and shiny, and appear to have their orig polish. Locks are crisp. Exterior finish of case is excellent, with only a few minor marks and some lifting of lacquer on brass. Interior leather is very fine, showing some compressions and rubs, from contact with guns and accessories. Label is excellent except a minor rub in center from brass knob of central compartment. All accessories are generally excellent. One spare ramrod is a replacement, being of ebony and not rosewood. Outer cover is very fine, leather still light in color with many minor marks and some darkening and lifting of grain on corners, some of which are beginning to come unstitched. Closure flaps are fine, but show cracking and lifting of grain, and becoming brittle. One of the closure straps is missing, and one of the straps around case has tongue detached, the other repaired. 4-45078 MGM195 (15,000-25,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2012 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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