MANTON, LONDON AN EXCEPTIONAL CASED PAIR OF 18-BORE PERCUSSION DUELLING-PISTOLS, serial no's.

MANTON, LONDON AN EXCEPTIONAL CASED PAIR OF 18-BORE PERCUSSION DUELLING-PISTOLS, serial no's. 5317, for 1809-10 and with later conversion to caplock from flint by the makers, with browned twist-iron octagonal 10in. smoothbore barrels, the top-flats signed in gold 'MANTON LONDON', silver fore-sights, standing notch rear-sights forwards of the colour hardened patent breech-blocks, the blocks engraved with martial trophies, rear-facing nipples with platinum plugs, colour-hardened borderline and scroll engraved top-tangs, border and trophy engraved flat locks signed 'MANTON' on the bar and with pointed tails, sliding safes behind the slab-sided pill-lock style hammers with blued detachable noses, walnut half-stocks with chequered grips flaring at the flat based pommels, each with a flush-fitting inlet engraved and blued butt-cap, engraved trigger-guard bows and colour hardened trigger-plates, silver barrel-key escutcheons and brass mounted mahogany ramrods, both pistols in exception restored condition and complete with a walnut storage case compartmented and lined in green baize, Joseph Manton parchment label inside lid and including a combination loading mallet cleaning rod, a three-way flask, nipple-key, powder measure, cap-tin, ball mould, oil-bottle breech-brush and an ebony handled chamber brush from another Other Notes: Despite the presence of a Joseph Manton trade label, this pistols are most probably the work of John Manton going on the style of signature. They were made at a period when the serial number ranges of both John and Joseph overlap and there is also the possibility that the pistols were made by John and converted by Joseph.