Gorget by Dave Hughes

 

Photography by Jan Riser.

Ron Ehlert Iron Mounted Southern Rifle

 

Photography by Jan Riser.

Pennsylvania Pistol ca.1800 by David Dodds

 
Lovely crafted pistol with Apple wood stock 8.5" .45 cal swamped Getz barrel brass wire around tang Flintlock assembled by the Rifle Shop from castings of an antique marked "Dreppard"

Photography supplied by Robert Weil.

Powder Horn by Bruce Horne

 
biased on the Paul Revere engravings and various rev war images
overall about 15" butt about 2.75"
SOLD 

Photography by Robert Weil.

Morphy Auction: ENGRAVED 1784 DATED POWDER HORN OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR VETERAN ROBERT SHEFFIELD

 According to the Mariners of Sailors' Snug Harbor History and Genealogy: "Captain Robert Sheffield (1753-1838) was a Revolutionary War Veteran who served in the New York Line 3rd Regiment under Captain John Hulbert. This Regiment was involved in several skirmishes near Lake George, New York in the fall of 1776 and he was wounded in the leg. In 1778, he was captured by the British and imprisoned on the Prison Ship "HMS Whitby" docked off of the Brooklyn coast in Wallabout Bay (near current day Brooklyn Navy Yard). He was fortunate to have escaped this prison ship and told his story to the Connecticut Gazette (July 10, 1778). Sadly, it is estimated that during the war at least 11,500 men died on these prison ships. Captain Sheffield is mentioned (pages 78-79) in Robert Watson's recent book "The Ghost Ship of Brooklyn" which tells the story of the notorious British prison ships (HMS Jersey and others). The Smithsonian Magazine March 2017 article, "The Grisly History of Brooklyn’s Revolutionary War Martyrs", also noted the Captain's harrowing experience on a prison ship. After the Revolutionary War, he became a Mariner and eventually a Shipmaster in New York City. In 1804, he purchased a small island in the Long Island Sound near the harbor of the city of Norwalk, CT. The island was later renamed Sheffield Island in his honor. In the 1820s, the U.S. Government built a Lighthouse on the island and his son-in-law was the Lighthouse Keeper for many years. On August 23, 1837, Captain Sheffield entered Sailors' Snug Harbor and died there on February 20, 1838 at age 85. He is interred in SSH Cemetery. During Sailors' Snug Harbors years of operation (1833-1976), besides their merchant maritime service, many of the SSH Mariners were also military veterans dating back to the American Revolution. After the SSH Mariners Records Registers were re-designed in the late 1860s, by Captain Thomas Melville, many interesting information details were added about the Mariners. One of these details was the number of years sailed on Naval Ships. During an initial review of the SSH Mariners Records Registers, we have noticed that other SSH Mariners were noted as serving in the U.S. Navy. As the registers are transcribed, we will discover many more SSH Mariners whom served in the U.S. Military and Merchant Service during wartime and also share their stories." The horn is accompanied by a 1933 letter from the Historian for Southampton Town and a 1944 Christmas story and poem about the powder horn. The horn itself measures about 12-3/4" across the bow. The spout section has 2 rounded relief rings. The 2-stage body has the main portion engraved with a massive and detailed 40-gun warship across the entire length measuring 8" total. The neatly executed inscription reads "Robert*Shiffield's*Horn / Mad* November*ye 15*1784"There is also a long engraved swordfish. Convex wood plug.

CONDITION: Pleasing honey patina. Shows some wear and some raised grain across masts of ship. A very attractive and historic powder horn.

Final Bid: $3,444.00

Estimate: $3,000 - $6,000

# Bids: 7

More information found here.

Morphy Auction

December 13-15, 2022 Collectible Firearms & Militaria

Morphy Auction: A SCARCE JOHANN WAGNER FLINTLOCK JAEGER RIFLE, WITH A VERY LATE 1744 DATE, ORTHOPTIC SIGHT, AND IMPRESSIVE CARVING ON BOTH METAL AND WOOD

 

Johann Wagner is recorded in Cronach circa 1687 - 1726; his apprenticeship began in Vienna 1687 and in 1726 he was designated Stuckleutnant. Shumway illustrated another example by this maker dated 1722 in the July 1991 copy of Muzzleblasts. Octagonal barrel with dovetailed bead front sight, 2 leaf dovetailed rear sight, one folding leaf, in a primitive buckhorn style. Sights are accented with engraving of geometrics on both sides, with floral finials and a poincon that resembles an acorn at rear; front sight engraving heavily softened. Top flat over breech signed "IoHann Wagner In Cronach 1744"; the 1744 is extremely late for Wagner and it might be among the last rifles he made. Breech is decorated with further scroll in an almost 3D style, with wrigglework line at breech. Deeply cut 8 groove rifling. Lock has absolutely gorgeous relief scrollwork in the rococo style with a heavy bridle that connects frizzen and frizzen spring to pan. Frizzen spring is decorated with beveled edges ad light scroll. Face of the frizzen is relief chiseled with a mythical face with a crown and a stippled ground. Underside of pan has wave decoration. Full length sideplate with scrollwork and hatch shading, depicting a hunting dog chasing after a hare (with strange vulpine ears). Horn tipped ramrod, retained by 2 faceted ferrules with flared mouths, feeding into a reinforced mouth with light engraving en suite. Halfmoon sling swivel mounted above front ferrule and a matching stud along toe line. Relief carved woodwork along length of stock with a floral finial around the reinforced mouth. Nosecap is missing, and was probably originally horn. Jaeger trigger guard engraved with scroll and hatching en suite with balance of gun, and a pair of young dogs in a vignette. Orthoptic rear sight on its own thumbpiece. Bavarian style cheeckpiece with mixed relief and incised carving in floral patterns around cheekpiece and patchbox. Cheekpiece has an 8 pointed star made of alternating mother of pearl and horn. Impressive patchbox with brass vignettes on either end, one with a shell motif and the other depicting a resting stag, with more scroll and shading. Patchbox with an depressed area featuring another 8 pointed star made of mother of pearl and horn. Patchbox contains 2 lead balls and cloth for patches. Large brass buttplate with a faceted heel, engraving en suite, and a depiction of a falcon; some of the ribs with strong evidence of gilt which has all but faded. 

CONDITION: Overall very good, with some oil staining and some scattered brown mossing. Brass is excellent, with an untouched golden patina. Stock is excellent overall with some light impressions and handling marks, and one very small square repair on right side around a barrel pin, but free of cracks or chips. Engraving is crisp throughout, with exception given to engraving around front sight. Mechanically fine, bore is excellent with strong rifling and a minimum of oxidation. This is an absolutely gorgeous rifle from a top quality maker. 

CORRECTION: There is a crack under the ramrod that runs just beyond the first ferrule, and a few minor separations at tip of forearm.

Lot #: 1093

Final Bid: $7,200.00

Estimate: $4,000. - $8,000.

# of Bids: 17

More information here.

Morphy Auction

December 13-15, 2022 Collectible Firearms & Militaria. This item has SOLD.