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Ira & Larry Goldberg are selling a major collection over two days of arms and amour starting December 3^rd. Among the start lots in the sale are several cased pairs of pistols. Pictured above is a pair by Gameson London circa 1800-1810. Other pairs include German, Dutch and Ottoman examples.

Among the long guns is a rare royal Wheelock for Leopold  I or II converted to pill lock, an unusual Kentucky blanket gun and several early US military arms. In the edged weapons offered is a Japanese Diasho by Chikuzen Yoshimasa, a civil war presentation sword,, and several early European swords. Other lots in include a good Victorian copy of a great helm, elements of amour, flask, axes and ethnographic weapons.

Leading the auction for Rock island’s Premier sale in December is the “Captain Jack” Winchester model 1873 carrying and estimate of $175,000-375,000 . This rifle displayed at both the New York Exhibition of Industry and Science in 1898 and at the Pan-American International Exposition in Buffalo.

 In 1902, it was presented by Winchester to one of the true Western folk heroes: John Crawford, better known as Captain Jack or “The Poet Scout.” Crawford served in the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry during the Civil War and was wounded at both Spotsylvania and Petersburg. During the Black Hills Gold Rush he joined the Black Hills Rangers protecting the local populace from Indian attacks as their chief scout. He also worked as a journalist in the Gold Camps and then as a war correspondent during the Bighorn and Yellowstone Expeditions. Crawford became friends with William “Buffalo Bill” and replaced him as head scout when Cody returned to the East. He rose to national fame after riding 350 miles in just six days in order to deliver news of Crook’s triumph over Chief American Horse at the Battle of Slim Buttes in September 1876 during the Great Sioux War. You can read more about “Captain Jack” in the online catalog which includes a wide range of other desirable lots

San Giorgio’s December sales included many fine pairs of pistols. Pictured on the cover is a luxurious pair by Vergnies in Marseille, with silver gilt mounts and wire inlay. The motifs include naval elements so they may have been a presentation to an ottoman admiral.  A cased set of six ivory stocked pistols are also offered. Among the other pairs in the sale  are wheelock, percussion and flintlock guns some with unusual breech loading mechanisms.

In the long arms offered are several unusual Sardinian muskets, a Brescian flintlock folding carbine and a fine back action percussion cased shotgun by Merdy in Dijon as well as several Colt’s and Winchesters and an early and important military matchlock wallgun C. 1500.  Among the armour lots are an armet and an Italian close helm and among the eastern are a fine yatagan, a very good khula khud, a Persian  ivory hilted khanjar, a fine sipar shield and an Ottoman coat of mail.

Click on the image for a link to the sale. There is also an online auction of collector lots on the 8th.

Antikvity Praha’s next auction includes a selection of fine arms and armour. The most significant lot in the sale is a fine 16G shotgun by Gustav Fukerts presented to empower Framz Joseph 1^st if Austria.  In near mint condition the self cocking side-lock is extensively engraves and embellished with gold and bears the monogram FJI for the emperor. Cased, it carries and estimate of 100,000-150,000 euro.

Also offered is a Russian shashka  model 1881/1909 with the order of St Anna, a fine Ottoman flintlock rifle in the European manner and several highly decorative hunting swords with blue and gold blades. Further lots include a Kuchenreuter flintlock rifle,  a cased pair of Holland & Holland shotguns, cased underhammer pistols by Cessier, an Apache knuckle duster knife revolver, several knives including a navaja and a south German or Swiss sabre circa 1600. 

Click on the image ofr a link to the sale.

The Swiss Auction Center fall antique arms sale is being held 26^th. The sale includes, antique weapons and many scarce and unique objects at reasonable starting prices. Among the antique pistol highlights are an English breech loading Fergusson/Chaumett type flintlock pistol by Jover, (start price: Fr. 3,000.00), a rare needle-fire pistol by Dreyse & Collebusch, pictured, (start price: Fr. 2,500.00), and a large collection of early Swiss Ordnance flintlock and percussion arms.

The sale also includes elements or armor, ethnographic weapons, fine edged weapons both hunting and military, accoutrements, uniforms and headgear. The fully illustrated catalog will be online shortly. Click on the image for a link to the sale.

The catalog for Auction imperial’s November sale includes rare Ottoman and Indo Persian arms that are seldom encountered as well as a wide variety of lots from other historical and cultural contexts. . Among the rarer forms of sword offered  in the sale is an ottoman sabre dating to the 15^th century, two examples of which belonging to Mehmet the Conqueror (1432-1481,) are  in the Topaki Palace Collection. It carries an estimate of $10,000-15,000.
 
 Pictured is a Russian presentation sword with Kubachi workmanship in steel and gold. The eagle pommel is set with garnet eyes and the blade is etched with H II for Tsar Nikolai (r. 1894-1917). Other swords  include a Mughal shamshir with horsehead hilt ex Robert Hales collection and  a mid 19^th century Qajar execution sword. Amour in the sale includes a Hyderabad cuirass and among the guns are a fine massive Mughal torador and a fine Greek kompoura pistol.

San Giorgio Auction House are holding their next auction on November 11^th .  Among the finer lots are a rare Austrian frontier guard carbine (2500-3000-Euro), and a good Russian Shaska (2000-2500 Euro). Also offered is a fine embossed parade morion and a schiovona sword C1700.

There are many flintlock and percussion pistols, revolvers and edged weapons in the sale as well as uniform pieces, headgear, polearms, stonebows and crossbows. Longarms in the sale include percussion sporting, target and military guns and in the selction of pistols are British Military, Ottoman and Italian examples.

Click on the image for a link to the sale.