EXTRAORDINARY PAIR OF ROYALTY QUALITY LEBEDA PINFIRE SINGLE SHOT PISTOLS.

EXTRAORDINARY PAIR OF ROYALTY QUALITY LEBEDA PINFIRE SINGLE SHOT PISTOLS. SN 1 & 2. Cal. 14mm pinfire. Spectacular pair of pistols numbered “1” and “2” with 5-5/16″ oct Damascus bbls, ivory or bone dovetailed front sights with tiny screw retainers and a fixed rear sights in the top tangs. Bbls are oct shaped for the first 1-7/8″ from the breech ends then turn to sixteen flats for about 2-1/8″ then back to oct shape at the muzzles. The barrels are decorated with gold inlaid Greek key designs at the breech ends, which continue over onto the scalloped flanges of the bbls. The muzzles are decorated with inlaid gold scallop designs. Bottom flat of bbls are inlaid in gold “LEBEDAS PATTENT” (sic). Receivers are rnd bodied with raised flat top reinforcements on each side at the top with scalloped recesses that blend into the bbl flanges. Receivers, top tangs, back action lockplates, hammers and trigger guards are spectacularly engraved in flowing foliate & floral patterns with shaded background. Many of the patterns & borders are inlaid with gold. Bottoms of receivers are inlaid in gold with a very detailed crown which surmounts an intertwined “W.W”. Below the dbl “W” is an engraved & inlaid square pattern with a gold design in the center. Trigger guards have a square front pillar that when pulled to the rear, releases the bbls to tip down for loading & unloading. Each pistol has a tiny checkered walnut forearm attached to the bottom of the bbl at front of receiver. They are mounted in checkered round butt stocks that have a recess under a spring loaded cap for a spare cartridge. The cartridge trap cover is inlaid in cross-hatched gold wire and is surrounded by engraved foliate patterns with more foliate gold inlays. Lockplates are peninsula style that are marked “LEBEDA / INN / PRAG” in a panel where the lockplate meets the receiver. Hammers are elaborately sculpted with wonderful flowing lines and are engraved and heavily inlaid in a variety of gold patterns. Lockplates are engraved to match. Bottom tangs for trigger plates are also engraved in oval panels “LEBEDAS / PATTENT”. Accompanied by two orig 14mm pinfire cartridges. This cataloger has been informed on good authority that these pistols had been the possession of Wilhelm, Duke of Brunswick. Wilhelm August Ludwig Maxmillian Friedrich, Duke William VIII, was born in 1806. His father died in 1815 and his brother Charles assumed the throne, however he was deposed by a rebellion in 1830. Wilhelm (William) assumed the throne in 1830 and became permanent ruler in 1831, remaining on the throne until his death in 1884. He had no heirs and his personal possessions were apparently bequeathed to a cousin, a ruler in a neighboring duchy. Certainly these pistols are of the quality suitable to a king of that era, representing the highest form of the gunmaker’s art. Accompanied by the October 1986 issue of Guns Magazine which features pistol #1 on the cover and has a 2-page article with three color photographs on pp. 42-43. The story related in this article, by William Blynn & George Hahn, is that pistol #1 was obtained in Germany during WWII until sold to a collector in Ravenna, Ohio. The consignor states that he purchased the pistol from a local gun shop. Some months later he happened to notice the cover of a magazine with a picture of pistol #1 in the magazine rack at a 7-11 store. He purchased the magazine and for many months thereafter advertised in firearms related publications seeking contact from the owner of pistol #1. Eventually his efforts paid off, the owner contacted him and he was able to purchase pistol #1 and reunite the pair as you find them today. CONDITION: Extremely fine plus. The barrels retain most of their orig extremely fine Damascus pattern with a small scrape on muzzle of pistol #2. All other metal on both pistols retains about all of its fine orig gray metal finish with bright gold accents. Stocks have light handling & storage marks and retain most of their bright orig varnish with a small bruise in the right checkering of pistol #2. Pistol #2 hammer is missing the half cock notch, otherwise mechanics of both pistols are crisp with bright shiny bores. 4-40634 JR168 (30,000-50,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2010

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
	2450	$14,375.00	EXTRAORDINARY PAIR OF ROYALTY QUALITY LEBEDA PINFIRE SINGLE SHOT PISTOLS. SN 1 & 2. Cal. 14mm pinfire. Spectacular pair of pistols numbered “1” and “2” with 5-5/16″ oct Damascus bbls, ivory or bone dovetailed front sights with tiny screw retainers and a fixed rear sights in the top tangs. Bbls are oct shaped for the first 1-7/8″ from the breech ends then turn to sixteen flats for about 2-1/8″ then back to oct shape at the muzzles. The barrels are decorated with gold inlaid Greek key designs at the breech ends, which continue over onto the scalloped flanges of the bbls. The muzzles are decorated with inlaid gold scallop designs. Bottom flat of bbls are inlaid in gold “LEBEDAS PATTENT” (sic). Receivers are rnd bodied with raised flat top reinforcements on each side at the top with scalloped recesses that blend into the bbl flanges. Receivers, top tangs, back action lockplates, hammers and trigger guards are spectacularly engraved in flowing foliate & floral patterns with shaded background. Many of the patterns & borders are inlaid with gold. Bottoms of receivers are inlaid in gold with a very detailed crown which surmounts an intertwined “W.W”. Below the dbl “W” is an engraved & inlaid square pattern with a gold design in the center. Trigger guards have a square front pillar that when pulled to the rear, releases the bbls to tip down for loading & unloading. Each pistol has a tiny checkered walnut forearm attached to the bottom of the bbl at front of receiver. They are mounted in checkered round butt stocks that have a recess under a spring loaded cap for a spare cartridge. The cartridge trap cover is inlaid in cross-hatched gold wire and is surrounded by engraved foliate patterns with more foliate gold inlays. Lockplates are peninsula style that are marked “LEBEDA / INN / PRAG” in a panel where the lockplate meets the receiver. Hammers are elaborately sculpted with wonderful flowing lines and are engraved and heavily inlaid in a variety of gold patterns. Lockplates are engraved to match. Bottom tangs for trigger plates are also engraved in oval panels “LEBEDAS / PATTENT”. Accompanied by two orig 14mm pinfire cartridges. This cataloger has been informed on good authority that these pistols had been the possession of Wilhelm, Duke of Brunswick. Wilhelm August Ludwig Maxmillian Friedrich, Duke William VIII, was born in 1806. His father died in 1815 and his brother Charles assumed the throne, however he was deposed by a rebellion in 1830. Wilhelm (William) assumed the throne in 1830 and became permanent ruler in 1831, remaining on the throne until his death in 1884. He had no heirs and his personal possessions were apparently bequeathed to a cousin, a ruler in a neighboring duchy. Certainly these pistols are of the quality suitable to a king of that era, representing the highest form of the gunmaker’s art. Accompanied by the October 1986 issue of Guns Magazine which features pistol #1 on the cover and has a 2-page article with three color photographs on pp. 42-43. The story related in this article, by William Blynn & George Hahn, is that pistol #1 was obtained in Germany during WWII until sold to a collector in Ravenna, Ohio. The consignor states that he purchased the pistol from a local gun shop. Some months later he happened to notice the cover of a magazine with a picture of pistol #1 in the magazine rack at a 7-11 store. He purchased the magazine and for many months thereafter advertised in firearms related publications seeking contact from the owner of pistol #1. Eventually his efforts paid off, the owner contacted him and he was able to purchase pistol #1 and reunite the pair as you find them today. CONDITION: Extremely fine plus. The barrels retain most of their orig extremely fine Damascus pattern with a small scrape on muzzle of pistol #2. All other metal on both pistols retains about all of its fine orig gray metal finish with bright gold accents. Stocks have light handling & storage marks and retain most of their bright orig varnish with a small bruise in the right checkering of pistol #2. Pistol #2 hammer is missing the half cock notch, otherwise mechanics of both pistols are crisp with bright shiny bores. 4-40634 JR168 (30,000-50,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2010 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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