RARE & EXTRAORDINARY CASED PAIR OF ROYALTY QUALITY MANCEAUX PERCUSSION TARGET PISTOLS.

RARE & EXTRAORDINARY CASED PAIR OF ROYALTY QUALITY MANCEAUX PERCUSSION TARGET PISTOLS. SN NSN. Cal. 54. Fantastic pair of pistols mounted & engraved identically with 10″ oct bbls, extraordinarily narrow dovetailed front sights with fixed rear sights on the breech plug tang. Bbls, lockplates, hammers and all fittings are heavily encrusted with gold in foliate arabesque patterns and marked on top flats in French “Donne’ par le ROI des Francais a Mr le Capitaine COCHRAN. 1843.” (Translation: Given by the King of France to Monsieur Captain Cochran 1843.) Left top flat of bbls have a platinum ribbon inlay “MANCEAUX” and the top right flat “A PARIS”. Lockplates are inlaid with two dragons along with foliate arabesque patterns and the left & right flats of the bbl at the breech plug have stylized bird heads. Hammers are very elaborate with fine curls back of the spurs and a decorative 6-petal flower around the hammer screws. Trigger guards are equally elaborate with decorative file work and heavy gold inlay of a demon face. The metal forend tips are equally elaborately inlaid with gold and have crowned lion heads. Buttcaps match the other metal work in quality and gold inlay. Pistols are mounted in 1-pc French walnut half stocks with raised side panels and very deep carved fluted butts with foliate arabesque panels on each side & backstrap in which birds’ heads are incorporated. Accompanied by its original, extraordinary ebony casing with silver & gilded brass inlays in foliate arabesque and Moorish patterns with silver & gilded brass wire borders. It has an elaborate rectangular silver plate centered in the lid that is engraved in French “DONNE’ PAR LE ROI DES FRANCAIS / A MR. LE CAPITAINE COCHRAN 1843”, translation as above. Front of case lid has a silver shield with fingernail notch in the front with brass lining on the front edge with four locking studs for the mortised lock, with functioning key. The case is lined in burgundy velvet with pressed designs around the border inside the lid and in the center with gold embellishments. The very center is gold embossed “MANCEAUX. / A PARIS.”. Bottom is French fitted for the pistols, an extraordinary matching engraved & inlaid single cavity ball bullet mold with a unique articulated automatic sprue cutter; a fantastic bag-shaped, plunger-style horn powder flask with gold inlaid metal fittings and gold wire inlay around the body; a rosewood handled nipple wrench with silver & gold inlaid ferrule; a wood & German silver ramrod; a wood & German silver cleaning rod with jag; a wooden mallet; a steel & German silver worm and a wooden bits box with interrupted threads containing two spare nipples. Covered compartment in the left rear corner is empty and the one in front right corner contains lead balls and the key. this is one of the more extraordinary sets of percussion target pistols to come to market in recent years. John Webster Cochran was born in Enfield, New Hamshire on May 16, 1814. In 1833 he patented a steam heating apparatus and in 1834 invented a revolving, breech-loading rifled cannon which ultimately led to his invention of the Cochran turret pistol & rifle. In 1834 he visited France and after showing his model to the Turkish ambassador, on the invitation of Sultan Mahmoud, traveled to Constantinople for a demonstration for which he was liberally rewarded. He lived in France from 1839-1847 working with the French on timed fuses for projectiles which apparently resulted in this presentation from King Louis Philippe. The consignor is a direct descendant of Cochran. This pair of pistols have remained in the Family’s possession since their make. Francois Jules Manceaux was an English Patent for “improvements and cartridges for breech-loading small arms” on July 11, 1871. Mr. Manceaux was also involved in developments of firearms rifling as regards gain twist, depth and different rates of twist. CONDITION: Extraordinarily fine. Both pistols appear to remain new & unfired with all of their wonderful orig finish to both metal & wood. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bores. Case has a crack in lid with some minor losses of the brass wire inlay around edges. Interior is extremely fine with slightly faded bottom with light soil and wear. Accessories are new & unused with nipple wrench having a cracked handle & mallet may have been used to crack walnuts at some time. 4-37487 JR161 (25,000-50,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2009

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
	2437	$86,250.00	RARE & EXTRAORDINARY CASED PAIR OF ROYALTY QUALITY MANCEAUX PERCUSSION TARGET PISTOLS. SN NSN. Cal. 54. Fantastic pair of pistols mounted & engraved identically with 10″ oct bbls, extraordinarily narrow dovetailed front sights with fixed rear sights on the breech plug tang. Bbls, lockplates, hammers and all fittings are heavily encrusted with gold in foliate arabesque patterns and marked on top flats in French “Donne’ par le ROI des Francais a Mr le Capitaine COCHRAN. 1843.” (Translation: Given by the King of France to Monsieur Captain Cochran 1843.) Left top flat of bbls have a platinum ribbon inlay “MANCEAUX” and the top right flat “A PARIS”. Lockplates are inlaid with two dragons along with foliate arabesque patterns and the left & right flats of the bbl at the breech plug have stylized bird heads. Hammers are very elaborate with fine curls back of the spurs and a decorative 6-petal flower around the hammer screws. Trigger guards are equally elaborate with decorative file work and heavy gold inlay of a demon face. The metal forend tips are equally elaborately inlaid with gold and have crowned lion heads. Buttcaps match the other metal work in quality and gold inlay. Pistols are mounted in 1-pc French walnut half stocks with raised side panels and very deep carved fluted butts with foliate arabesque panels on each side & backstrap in which birds’ heads are incorporated. Accompanied by its original, extraordinary ebony casing with silver & gilded brass inlays in foliate arabesque and Moorish patterns with silver & gilded brass wire borders. It has an elaborate rectangular silver plate centered in the lid that is engraved in French “DONNE’ PAR LE ROI DES FRANCAIS / A MR. LE CAPITAINE COCHRAN 1843”, translation as above. Front of case lid has a silver shield with fingernail notch in the front with brass lining on the front edge with four locking studs for the mortised lock, with functioning key. The case is lined in burgundy velvet with pressed designs around the border inside the lid and in the center with gold embellishments. The very center is gold embossed “MANCEAUX. / A PARIS.”. Bottom is French fitted for the pistols, an extraordinary matching engraved & inlaid single cavity ball bullet mold with a unique articulated automatic sprue cutter; a fantastic bag-shaped, plunger-style horn powder flask with gold inlaid metal fittings and gold wire inlay around the body; a rosewood handled nipple wrench with silver & gold inlaid ferrule; a wood & German silver ramrod; a wood & German silver cleaning rod with jag; a wooden mallet; a steel & German silver worm and a wooden bits box with interrupted threads containing two spare nipples. Covered compartment in the left rear corner is empty and the one in front right corner contains lead balls and the key. this is one of the more extraordinary sets of percussion target pistols to come to market in recent years. John Webster Cochran was born in Enfield, New Hamshire on May 16, 1814. In 1833 he patented a steam heating apparatus and in 1834 invented a revolving, breech-loading rifled cannon which ultimately led to his invention of the Cochran turret pistol & rifle. In 1834 he visited France and after showing his model to the Turkish ambassador, on the invitation of Sultan Mahmoud, traveled to Constantinople for a demonstration for which he was liberally rewarded. He lived in France from 1839-1847 working with the French on timed fuses for projectiles which apparently resulted in this presentation from King Louis Philippe. The consignor is a direct descendant of Cochran. This pair of pistols have remained in the Family’s possession since their make. Francois Jules Manceaux was an English Patent for “improvements and cartridges for breech-loading small arms” on July 11, 1871. Mr. Manceaux was also involved in developments of firearms rifling as regards gain twist, depth and different rates of twist. CONDITION: Extraordinarily fine. Both pistols appear to remain new & unfired with all of their wonderful orig finish to both metal & wood. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bores. Case has a crack in lid with some minor losses of the brass wire inlay around edges. Interior is extremely fine with slightly faded bottom with light soil and wear. Accessories are new & unused with nipple wrench having a cracked handle & mallet may have been used to crack walnuts at some time. 4-37487 JR161 (25,000-50,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2009 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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