Hi Everyone,
This set of pistols has been handed down in my family for several generations. They were handed down to me in 1993 when my Mom passed away. They belonged to her Father's Father. When my Mom was alive, she told me she had them professionally appraised "over 20 years ago now" for over 10k. Of course, nobody could find the appraisal after her passing. The only information I have about the pistols from several visits to several different gun shops and gun shows is that they may be made by a company called E-M and manufactured in Belgium and sold in Sweden and inspected in France. I believe they were made around 1850. What's been puzzling to everyone who inspects these pistols, is the engraving on the top of each pistol. Some people seam to think the writing is Arabic, some say Turkish and some say Persian. Nobody seams to know what it says. I would like to know if anyone can help me with solving this mystery and tell me what they believe the worth is on the set. The case was made especially for these pistols about 25 or 30 years ago by someone that my Mother new. I have attached several photos to help Y'all out. Any questions, please feel free to email me.
Thanks in advance,
NayborDave
Thank you. I have not heard anyone say Greek before. Maybe that's why some of my Arabic friends can't read the writing, although, they say it looks a lot like Arabic.
OK, that confirms that they are indeed made in Belgium, but why do you think they were sold in Sweden and inspected in France. There are others on the forum who are much more knowledgeable than I on these type of old percussion pistols. However I'm not sure where the 10,000 figure would come from, You have a matched pair of very clean Belgium percussion pistols and a boo-tee-full case. but unless I'm missing something I see on less zero on that number. Some of the grown up smart people will be by shortly with more informative information .
Mr. RJay,
Thanks again for your reply. I'm not sure about any information that I stated in my original post. I was only repeating what people were saying to me at all my visits to gun shops and shows giving y'all all the info I had---true or false. Nobody seems to be sure about anything but the Belgium origination. That's why I came to y'all----the experts, hoping for a definitive, concrete answer. I would especially like to know what language the engraving is and what it says. Just maybe, when that is determined, is where the rest of the value is that my Mother stated to me. Once again, I don't know. Hopefully someone will recognize the language and tell me what the engraving says.
Thanks again for your time and your reply. Looking forward to the grown up smart people when they arrive.
Thanks again for your time
These pre-date my usual interest in German/Austrian/Swiss/Belgian firearms. However, they are hugely interesting. Proof laws from country to country on the continent during the period of manufacture of these two pistols was convoluted. They were definitely proofed in Belgium, that cannot be questioned. I am not certain, however, that they are of Belgian manufacture. I see French as a definite possibility. And that is one mans opinion. The writing....I have no clue beyond it appearing to be middle eastern in origin. I hope someone knows definitively for your interest....and my curiosity!!
Thank you Sharps for your input. Maybe someone on this site will stumble across my post and have an answer for all of us. The more I dig into this, the more interesting it becomes. I wonder if there are any forums specializing in 19th century language where I might find out what the engraving says on the top of each barrel? Thanks again.
Thank you very much ampaterry for the photo and the origin of the photo. I am going to order that book. My pistols are very similar to your photo. I feel like I am getting somewhere. Hopefully I will get more input on my treasures and find out what the engraving says.
Thanks again
Your apparently superb pistol pair I guestimate at about $1000 each. As a pair $2500. The case & accessories appear to be aftermarket, not to say recent but case made by other than a maker of pistol cases & the accessories assembled to make a functional set & add maybe $500 to overall value. That said, the pistols are bizarre & apparently in close to original untouched condition that the set could bring much more from the right person. If you can ID the inscription it might add substantially to the value if ID-ed with some Middle East potentate - a long shot.
The Merrill Lindsay book 100 Great Guns dates from the 1960s, then referred to by gun collectors as a "coffee table book", beautiful pictures, etc. You can find it on eBay or a dealer in collectible books.
I'm sure these aren't boot pistols--they are much too large and boot pistols typically don't have ramrods. They are interesting--the rifling is unusual and the attached ramrods are usually found on military pistols--but these aren't military. I don't think these pistols are particularly valuable--the metal finishing, engraving, and the checkering are not first quality--but they appear to be in excellent condition. I'd Google mid-eastern antiquities and see if you can find an expert, possibly a museum curator, who could at least identify the origin of the markings. From there you could find someone to translate.
Thank you very much ampaterry for the photo and the origin of the photo. I am going to order that book. My pistols are very similar to your photo. I feel like I am getting somewhere. Hopefully I will get more input on my treasures and find out what the engraving says.
Thanks again
It is a great book, and I have found TONS of good information in it -
Beautiful pictures, too -
BUT -
What I posted above is the ONLY reference to this piece in the entire volume. It traces the history of guns from the beginning to modern, and this bootleg pistol is just one of the multitude of stops along the way.
Thank Y'all for your very interesting replies. I will keep searching and try to google for an expert in this field. I really want to find out the language and what the engraving says on the top of the barrel. Thanks again everyone and I will keep checking back here for future replies. Should I find out the answer, I will post it here.
Thanks again
Muff pistols were very small handguns, derringer size. The muffs or hand warmers had a small pocket sewed inside that had a snap closure. The gun ( again, a very petit handgun ) was secured in the pocket, the snap secured and the lady was assure she had the means to protect her virtue if need be ( a lot of rascals in them there days ). The only lady that could carry the pictured guns in a hand warmer would be the 50 foot woman, and nobody was going to mess with the 50 foot woman to start with, so no hand guns was needed.
Thanks RJay, I sent the photos to a Arabic antique shop in New York last week to have them look at the writing on the top of the barrels. They sent me an email back and said the writing is not of any Arabic writing that they have every seen. I have a friend of mine researching the writing as well who just loves a good challenge, and so far she is leaning towards a Persian language and she believes that it may be a persons name. She said she would know more by next week. I will let y'all know when I find out something. Thanks a bunch for everyone's help.
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