MAGNIFICENT RENWICK-LOCKE AMERICAN GOLD INLAID FLINTLOCK DUELING PISTOLS BY JAMES HASLETT, BALTIMORE, CIRCA 1810.

MAGNIFICENT RENWICK-LOCKE AMERICAN GOLD INLAID FLINTLOCK DUELING PISTOLS BY JAMES HASLETT, BALTIMORE, CIRCA 1810. Certainly the most luxurious pair of American flintlock dueling pistols in private hands, these pistols first appeared and are illustrated in October, 1929 in the Antiquarium magazine. Described as a “Pair of very rare early American pistols made by James Haslett of Baltimore in 1800. They have superb gold inlay and are finely chased”. It is presumed that they were acquired by William Goodwin Renwick (1886-1971) at this time. Mr. Renwick was one of the few collectors whose collections were acquired prior to World War II. Renwick owned some of the finest guns in the world and the Hasletts together with a splendid over under flintlock pistol by Simeon North were sold at Sotheby Parke Burnett Los Angeles on October 1, 1972. They were purchased at the sale by the legendary William Locke for the then incredible price of $20,000. Mr. Locke had coveted these pistols since before the second World War and would have paid whatever it took to acquire them. It is interesting to note that lot 112 in the same sale, a Colt Paterson revolving carbine presented by the State of Rhode Island to Henry Clark, sold for $12,000 to Herb Glass. This Paterson Carbine was sold at Butterfield & Butterfield in 1993 for $165,000 plus 10%. James Haslett opened his gun shop in Baltimore at the “Sign of the Golden Gun in 1803”. Having trained under the Irish gunsmith Robert McCormick, Haslett brought many of the Irish refinements to America. It is highly unusual to find extensive use of gold inlay on English dueling pistols. The inlay on the Haslett duelers can only be described as exuberant for the period. The sunburst on the top jaws is gold inlaid. The front sight is of solid gold and bordered with two heavy gold inlaid feathers. The breeches are inlaid with a stand of arms and a riband engraved Haslett, Baltimore. Breech end of the bbls is inlaid with a lightning bolt or an arrow and a flaming bomb. Locks are inlaid with a golden spray over a deeply sunken gold filled makers mark Haslett. Trigger guard has an acorn finial inlaid with gold and a further stand of arms inlaid in gold on the trigger guard itself. Steel buttcaps are inlaid with a large silver urn and flowers in gold and silver. The touch holes are lined in gold as are the pan covers. Case hardened bolt and locks are superbly made in the finest English tradition with roller bearing frizzens, push-on safeties and tilt-down pans which are refinement found only on the finest Irish flintlock dueling pistols. The wedge escutcheons, forend cap and thumb piece are of silver. The half stocks are of the finest and most highly figured walnut of characteristic American form with finely checkered butts. Octagonal bbls are heavy and highly sophisticated with a full channel for sighting. These duelers have set triggers and are of the finest quality throughout. There are only two sets of American flintlock dueling pistols known that are finer than these. They were by Simeon North, commissioned by the State of Connecticut for presentation to Thomas McDonough and Isaac Hull which are solid gold mounted and are in the USS Constitution Museum and the Smithsonian Institution respectively. The Hasletts are cased in a very fine quality French fitted walnut case with full accessories. Case appears to be of a slightly later period but fits the pistols well and compliments them. NOTES: The Renwick-Locke Haslett dueling pistols are quite simply the finest American flintlock duelers James D. Julia has ever offered and represent a unique opportunity to acquire the very best American flintlock pistols in private hands today. PROVENANCE: Clapp & Graham Company, 1929; William Goodwin Renwick, 1929-1972; William Lock, 1972-1973; Tom Seymour, 1973-1987; Exhibited National Portrait Gallery, 1980-1981, cover illustration; William Locke collection, pg. 407, Connoisseur Magazine, March 1981; Steel Canvas, R.L. Wilson, pg. 78. Frank Sujansky Collection. CONDITION: Locks retain all orig small parts including finely engraved hammer screws and retain virtually all orig bold and vivid color case hardening. Bbls retain nearly all their orig striped brown finish with much orig lacquer brown on top. Finely engraved breeches retain nearly all of their color hardening. Trigger guards retain much orig blue finish. Buttcaps have some extremely minor erosion around edges of one pistol; the other with very minor staining. Stocks are virtually pristine retaining nearly all their orig high polish varnish finish. One pistol with extremely minor age crack around locks screw escutcheon. Both ramrods are orig to the pistol; one plain, the other with worm. 4-49501 MRZ50 (75,000-125,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2013

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
	2301	$195,500.00	MAGNIFICENT RENWICK-LOCKE AMERICAN GOLD INLAID FLINTLOCK DUELING PISTOLS BY JAMES HASLETT, BALTIMORE, CIRCA 1810. Certainly the most luxurious pair of American flintlock dueling pistols in private hands, these pistols first appeared and are illustrated in October, 1929 in the Antiquarium magazine. Described as a “Pair of very rare early American pistols made by James Haslett of Baltimore in 1800. They have superb gold inlay and are finely chased”. It is presumed that they were acquired by William Goodwin Renwick (1886-1971) at this time. Mr. Renwick was one of the few collectors whose collections were acquired prior to World War II. Renwick owned some of the finest guns in the world and the Hasletts together with a splendid over under flintlock pistol by Simeon North were sold at Sotheby Parke Burnett Los Angeles on October 1, 1972. They were purchased at the sale by the legendary William Locke for the then incredible price of $20,000. Mr. Locke had coveted these pistols since before the second World War and would have paid whatever it took to acquire them. It is interesting to note that lot 112 in the same sale, a Colt Paterson revolving carbine presented by the State of Rhode Island to Henry Clark, sold for $12,000 to Herb Glass. This Paterson Carbine was sold at Butterfield & Butterfield in 1993 for $165,000 plus 10%. James Haslett opened his gun shop in Baltimore at the “Sign of the Golden Gun in 1803”. Having trained under the Irish gunsmith Robert McCormick, Haslett brought many of the Irish refinements to America. It is highly unusual to find extensive use of gold inlay on English dueling pistols. The inlay on the Haslett duelers can only be described as exuberant for the period. The sunburst on the top jaws is gold inlaid. The front sight is of solid gold and bordered with two heavy gold inlaid feathers. The breeches are inlaid with a stand of arms and a riband engraved Haslett, Baltimore. Breech end of the bbls is inlaid with a lightning bolt or an arrow and a flaming bomb. Locks are inlaid with a golden spray over a deeply sunken gold filled makers mark Haslett. Trigger guard has an acorn finial inlaid with gold and a further stand of arms inlaid in gold on the trigger guard itself. Steel buttcaps are inlaid with a large silver urn and flowers in gold and silver. The touch holes are lined in gold as are the pan covers. Case hardened bolt and locks are superbly made in the finest English tradition with roller bearing frizzens, push-on safeties and tilt-down pans which are refinement found only on the finest Irish flintlock dueling pistols. The wedge escutcheons, forend cap and thumb piece are of silver. The half stocks are of the finest and most highly figured walnut of characteristic American form with finely checkered butts. Octagonal bbls are heavy and highly sophisticated with a full channel for sighting. These duelers have set triggers and are of the finest quality throughout. There are only two sets of American flintlock dueling pistols known that are finer than these. They were by Simeon North, commissioned by the State of Connecticut for presentation to Thomas McDonough and Isaac Hull which are solid gold mounted and are in the USS Constitution Museum and the Smithsonian Institution respectively. The Hasletts are cased in a very fine quality French fitted walnut case with full accessories. Case appears to be of a slightly later period but fits the pistols well and compliments them. NOTES: The Renwick-Locke Haslett dueling pistols are quite simply the finest American flintlock duelers James D. Julia has ever offered and represent a unique opportunity to acquire the very best American flintlock pistols in private hands today. PROVENANCE: Clapp & Graham Company, 1929; William Goodwin Renwick, 1929-1972; William Lock, 1972-1973; Tom Seymour, 1973-1987; Exhibited National Portrait Gallery, 1980-1981, cover illustration; William Locke collection, pg. 407, Connoisseur Magazine, March 1981; Steel Canvas, R.L. Wilson, pg. 78. Frank Sujansky Collection. CONDITION: Locks retain all orig small parts including finely engraved hammer screws and retain virtually all orig bold and vivid color case hardening. Bbls retain nearly all their orig striped brown finish with much orig lacquer brown on top. Finely engraved breeches retain nearly all of their color hardening. Trigger guards retain much orig blue finish. Buttcaps have some extremely minor erosion around edges of one pistol; the other with very minor staining. Stocks are virtually pristine retaining nearly all their orig high polish varnish finish. One pistol with extremely minor age crack around locks screw escutcheon. Both ramrods are orig to the pistol; one plain, the other with worm. 4-49501 MRZ50 (75,000-125,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2013 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.

.red{fill:#B50938;} .white{fill:#FFFFFF;} .blue{fill:#005596;}