UNIQUE “J & W TOLLEY” PENTAGONAL-BORE STEEL RIFLED CANNON.

SN NSN. This is a most unusual piece. Its closest relative may be the US Ellsworth which however was a breech loader with a bore of about 1-1/2″. It saw limited use in the Civil War and was personally pursued by Abraham Lincoln, about 20 were purchased. This piece may be the British equivalent and Tolley was a well known sporting maker of large bore rifles and shotguns. Bbl is marked “J&W TOLLEY ST. MARY’S SQUARE BIRMINGHAM”. This gun has a most unusual “Whitworth-like” pentagonal bore and was most likely made about the time of the Civil War. Our consignor states in his notes, “This unique cannon barrel was made by the Tolley firm of gunsmiths in Birmingham, England. It bears no date, but appears to be of 1860’s design. It is classified as a rifled muzzle-loader. The rifling is the same type used by the famous Whitworth cannon, which involves flat-sided rifling. But the Whitworth guns had hexagonal bores; this piece is pentagonal in cross section, and has a very small bore for a cannon of that period (though Whitworth made 1″ cannon). The barrel is a wrought iron or steel tube, closed at the breech by a forged, separate plug, the rear of which tapers to form the knob. This knob is drilled horizontally to receive an elevating device. The cannon has a large 2-1/4″ x 7/8″ x 1-1/2″ rear sight with two leaves, obviously one for a short range and one for long. There is a blade-type front sight of similar height and width. The trunnions are attached to a forged band, which is shrunk onto the tube. The piece may be unique, because both the Tower of London and the Rotunda Museum at Woolwich have informed me that they have seen nothing like it before, even though it is obviously real and was made in their country”. This unique gun is listed in Olmstead et al, FIELD ARTILLERY WEAPONS OF THE CIVIL WAR. PROVENANCE: W.K. Neale, Guernsey Island; Hampton P. Howell, Jr.; Springfield Arsenal, LLC Artillery Collection. CONDITION: Cannon measures just over 32″ overall. Trunnion to trunnion distances about 5-1/4″. Bbl length about 28-1/2″, bore diameter about 1.1″ (28mm) Very good overall, iron patina and pitting under black paint. Markings are discernible but weak. Bore is well defined. Sights are orig and functioning, though smaller blade of rear sight has right ear missing and small chip in front blade. Pentagonal bore is well defined with pitting, is clear as is vent. 4-54181 (10,000-20,000) – Lot 2060

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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
	2060	$4,600.00	UNIQUE “J & W TOLLEY” PENTAGONAL-BORE STEEL RIFLED CANNON. SN NSN. This is a most unusual piece. Its closest relative may be the US Ellsworth which however was a breech loader with a bore of about 1-1/2″. It saw limited use in the Civil War and was personally pursued by Abraham Lincoln, about 20 were purchased. This piece may be the British equivalent and Tolley was a well known sporting maker of large bore rifles and shotguns. Bbl is marked “J&W TOLLEY ST. MARY’S SQUARE BIRMINGHAM”. This gun has a most unusual “Whitworth-like” pentagonal bore and was most likely made about the time of the Civil War. Our consignor states in his notes, “This unique cannon barrel was made by the Tolley firm of gunsmiths in Birmingham, England. It bears no date, but appears to be of 1860’s design. It is classified as a rifled muzzle-loader. The rifling is the same type used by the famous Whitworth cannon, which involves flat-sided rifling. But the Whitworth guns had hexagonal bores; this piece is pentagonal in cross section, and has a very small bore for a cannon of that period (though Whitworth made 1″ cannon). The barrel is a wrought iron or steel tube, closed at the breech by a forged, separate plug, the rear of which tapers to form the knob. This knob is drilled horizontally to receive an elevating device. The cannon has a large 2-1/4″ x 7/8″ x 1-1/2″ rear sight with two leaves, obviously one for a short range and one for long. There is a blade-type front sight of similar height and width. The trunnions are attached to a forged band, which is shrunk onto the tube. The piece may be unique, because both the Tower of London and the Rotunda Museum at Woolwich have informed me that they have seen nothing like it before, even though it is obviously real and was made in their country”. This unique gun is listed in Olmstead et al, FIELD ARTILLERY WEAPONS OF THE CIVIL WAR. PROVENANCE: W.K. Neale, Guernsey Island; Hampton P. Howell, Jr.; Springfield Arsenal, LLC Artillery Collection. CONDITION: Cannon measures just over 32″ overall. Trunnion to trunnion distances about 5-1/4″. Bbl length about 28-1/2″, bore diameter about 1.1″ (28mm) Very good overall, iron patina and pitting under black paint. Markings are discernible but weak. Bore is well defined. Sights are orig and functioning, though smaller blade of rear sight has right ear missing and small chip in front blade. Pentagonal bore is well defined with pitting, is clear as is vent. 4-54181 (10,000-20,000) – Lot 2060 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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UNIQUE “J & W TOLLEY” PENTAGONAL-BORE STEEL RIFLED CANNON.