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Extremely Rare 17th Century Dutch Child's Wheelock Pistol with Ivory Stock

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military / Hand Guns - Pistols Start Price:7,500.00 USD Estimated At:15,000.00 - 25,000.00 USD
Extremely Rare 17th Century Dutch Child's Wheelock Pistol with Ivory Stock
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Extremely Rare 17th Century Dutch Child's Wheelock Pistol with Ivory Stock

This is a truly unique example of a Dutch wheel lock pistol that was manufactured around 1610. This diminutive pistol has a fluted smoothbore barrel with cannon muzzle. The lock has an external wheel. The wheel is decorated with simple floral engraving. The lock plate itself has beveled edges and no decorations. The trigger guard has a pointed finial and beveled edges with a finger groove at the rear. The silver hexagon shaped buttcap has fluted sides. The pistol is gilded; significant amounts of gilding remain in the barrel flutes, protected areas of the trigger guard and buttcap. The one-piece pin-fastened ivory stock has a fluted forearm with silver forend cap and two silver ramrod pipes and octagonal flat-sided grip. The ivory ramrod has a gold-gilded tip. The pistol is not signed and has no visible markings. Ivory stocked pistols are characteristically Dutch firearms and are extremely rare. Because of their cost, ivory stocked pistols like this example were intended primarily for display. Dutch firearms expert Arne Hoff stated in "DUTCH FIREARMS" that fewer than 100 genuine ivory stocked pistols are known in museum and private collections and only a few of the ivory stocked pistols are wheel locks. Provenance: Mark Dinely, Berwick St. John, England, owned Bapty & Co. and known to have a world class firearms collection.

Manufucture: Unknown
Model: Wheellock
BBL: 11 inch part octagon
Stock: ivory
Guage: 30
Finish: gilt/silver
Grips:
Serial Number: NSN

Fine. The pistol retains 30% of the gilded finish which is mainly contained in the protected areas. The lock and most of the forward half of the barrel have a smooth silver-gray patina. The ivory stock is in fine overall condition. There are several hairline age cracks on the grip and forearm. The ivory has a mellow patina with some discoloration in protected areas. There is a barely noticeable minor chip missing from the left side of the stock near the ramrod tail pipe. The rest of the stock remains in very good condition. This is an extremely rare Dutch ivory stocked wheel lock pistol. Firearms of this quality are rarely encountered outside of museums.