EXTRAORDINARY AND RARE ONE OF A KIND LEHIGH COUNTY LONGRIFLE ATTRIBUTED TO “STOEFFEL LONG” WITH TWO “INDIAN HEADS”.

Cal. 50. Gun measures 61″ overall with 45″ fully oct bbl, smooth bore. This is an important Lehigh/Northampton School Golden Age Kentucky Rifle. The stock is profusely incised carved front and rear of the cheekpiece, behind the bbl tang, and around the rear ramrod ferrule in the highly desired Pennsylvania Dutch Kutztown style. The Lehigh County “Indian” is incised carved forward of the trigger guard. Two piece patchbox has a characteristic fleur-de-lis finial with engraved lid again depicting the Lehigh Indian design. The presence of the mysterious “Indian head” design adds greatly to the desirability of any Lehigh County School rifle. To have two heads on one quality rifle is extremely rare. There are many theories regarding the significance of these “Indian heads” including among them the Indian Chief Tammany, the Sons of Liberty, Masonic, religious, etc. The only thing we do know is that the symbol was only important and used in the Lehigh County area. For example: the Sons of Liberty and their Liberty caps brought the Liberty Bell from Philadelphia to Allentown after the Revolution to protect it from the British. There is a decorative carved molding along the bottom of the butt stock. This gun features the areas most desirable stock profile with its pronounced drop at the toe of the stock. The half moon brass engraved cheekpiece inlay and the brass engraved thumb piece inlay are each held with a wood screw as is characteristic on longguns from this school of gunsmithing. The brass two-screw side plate terminates in a point, typical of Long’s rifles. Christoffel Long (Stoffel Long) was born in 1793 and died in October of 1858. He lived and worked in the Town of Stoney Run, Albany Township, Berks County, PA where he is buried in Stoney Run. He was an early gunsmith in the Allemaengel School of Gunsmithing. This gun was made in the Golden Age of Kentucky Rife gunsmithing and a similar gun dated 1819 is pictured in The Kentucky Rifle – A True American Heritage in Picture published in 1967 by the Kentucky Rifle Association. PROVENANCE: Phillip Flayderman, Norm Flayderman Collection, Steve Hench Collection, Dr. William Dupree. CONDITION: Very good to fine overall. The orig hand-forged German style lock is expertly reconverted from percussion to flint. Surfaces to brass mostly smooth with mustard colored patina. Wood and metal have an old, thin varnish over most of the surface. Wood overall is sound with typical small blemishes. Black light inspection reveals a minor expertly repaired crack at base of lock and one small inset repaired wood sliver 1″ x 1/4″ above metal pipe on right side of stock. 4-54771 RG (30,000-50,000) – Lot 1478a

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Auction: Firearms - March 2015

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
	1478a	$34,500.00	EXTRAORDINARY AND RARE ONE OF A KIND LEHIGH COUNTY LONGRIFLE ATTRIBUTED TO “STOEFFEL LONG” WITH TWO “INDIAN HEADS”. Cal. 50. Gun measures 61″ overall with 45″ fully oct bbl, smooth bore. This is an important Lehigh/Northampton School Golden Age Kentucky Rifle. The stock is profusely incised carved front and rear of the cheekpiece, behind the bbl tang, and around the rear ramrod ferrule in the highly desired Pennsylvania Dutch Kutztown style. The Lehigh County “Indian” is incised carved forward of the trigger guard. Two piece patchbox has a characteristic fleur-de-lis finial with engraved lid again depicting the Lehigh Indian design. The presence of the mysterious “Indian head” design adds greatly to the desirability of any Lehigh County School rifle. To have two heads on one quality rifle is extremely rare. There are many theories regarding the significance of these “Indian heads” including among them the Indian Chief Tammany, the Sons of Liberty, Masonic, religious, etc. The only thing we do know is that the symbol was only important and used in the Lehigh County area. For example: the Sons of Liberty and their Liberty caps brought the Liberty Bell from Philadelphia to Allentown after the Revolution to protect it from the British. There is a decorative carved molding along the bottom of the butt stock. This gun features the areas most desirable stock profile with its pronounced drop at the toe of the stock. The half moon brass engraved cheekpiece inlay and the brass engraved thumb piece inlay are each held with a wood screw as is characteristic on longguns from this school of gunsmithing. The brass two-screw side plate terminates in a point, typical of Long’s rifles. Christoffel Long (Stoffel Long) was born in 1793 and died in October of 1858. He lived and worked in the Town of Stoney Run, Albany Township, Berks County, PA where he is buried in Stoney Run. He was an early gunsmith in the Allemaengel School of Gunsmithing. This gun was made in the Golden Age of Kentucky Rife gunsmithing and a similar gun dated 1819 is pictured in The Kentucky Rifle – A True American Heritage in Picture published in 1967 by the Kentucky Rifle Association. PROVENANCE: Phillip Flayderman, Norm Flayderman Collection, Steve Hench Collection, Dr. William Dupree. CONDITION: Very good to fine overall. The orig hand-forged German style lock is expertly reconverted from percussion to flint. Surfaces to brass mostly smooth with mustard colored patina. Wood and metal have an old, thin varnish over most of the surface. Wood overall is sound with typical small blemishes. Black light inspection reveals a minor expertly repaired crack at base of lock and one small inset repaired wood sliver 1″ x 1/4″ above metal pipe on right side of stock. 4-54771 RG (30,000-50,000) – Lot 1478a Click here to view provenance Auction: Firearms - March 2015 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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EXTRAORDINARY AND RARE ONE OF A KIND LEHIGH COUNTY LONGRIFLE ATTRIBUTED TO “STOEFFEL LONG” WITH TWO “INDIAN HEADS”.