1087

Rare Iron matchlock "key" gun, 1500s-1600s.

Currency:USD Category:Artifacts / Non-wreck Artifacts Start Price:300.00 USD Estimated At:500.00 - 1,000.00 USD
Rare Iron matchlock  key  gun, 1500s-1600s.
All items are genuine unless noted. Most shipwreck coins and artifacts come with a certificate of authenticity (please check the description for each item). By bidding in this auction you understand and agree to the Terms and Conditions posted here.
Iron matchlock "key" gun, 1500s-1600s. 1202 grams, 12-1/2" long. Best we can tell, this is the real thing: A functional (in its time) pistol shaped like a huge jail key, with pullback "trigger" in oval handle connected to a match-holder poised over a small pan with cover, all a bit surface-corroded and rusty (possibly once buried) but with working action and intact screws. Supposedly such guns were used by jailers as actual keys but with a visible (if not effective) deterrent for unruly convicts. With old auction-lot tag (LaCasa DeLeon).

Bore size: 9/16"
Barrel thickness: 3/16"

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