Pair Of Ivory Stocked French Percussion Folding Trigger Pocket Pistols By Francois Prelat (1810-1850)

1 and 1/2 inch round .40 caliber barrels. Francois Prelat was perhaps the finest gunmaker of his time. He was “Arquebusier de S.A.R. Monsieur (The king’s brother) and French King Charles X. Prelat made the fantastic solid gold mounted and inlaid, cased set of dueling pistols presented by King Charles to the King of Sicily pictured in the Williamsburg Exhibition book of Clay P. Bedford’s Collection, Decorated Firearms. These were sold in 1996 for $650,000.00.

The present pair is a lovely small pair of pocket pistols. The turn off barrels are plain except Prelat’s engraved signature in an oval “Prelat a Paris”. The box lock frames are finely engraved with scrolls. Breeches and bolsters are engraved. Hammers are austere but finely forged.

Ivory butts are beautifully scrimshawed on each side with a spray of foliage. Condition of barrels is mostly dark metal with no pitting. Frames are dark metal matching the barrels. Bores are good. Prelat markings are fine as is the engraving. Ivory butts are good with expected age cracks and both pistols have minor through cracks on each side where butts join top of frame. Scrimshaw decoration is excellent and retains the India ink. Actions function.

This is a lovely, diminutive pair of pocket pistols, almost miniatures, by one of France’s greatest gunmakers.