Magnificent cased Pr of french Engraved Gold inlaid

Deluxe cased pair of percussion pistols manufactured by the premier Paris gunmaker Louis-Marin Gosset c. 1820-1825. The pistols have distinctive underhammer actions with octagon poly-groove rifled barrels with swamped muzzles. The pistols have spur trigger guards and carved flattened European walnut grips with oval pommels. The barrels, hammers and trigger guards are casehardened. The barrels have gold fore-sights and back-sights. Each barrel is gold inlaid with two bands, foliate designs and the numbers "1" or "2" at the breech. "Invention Gosset" followed by a floral spray is inlaid in gold on the top flat of each barrel. Each barrel tang is gold-inlaid with the number "1" or "2" ahead of the back-sight and inlaid with "GOSSET/A PARIS" in gold oval behind the sight. The iron forearms, hammers, spur trigger guards, receivers and barrel tangs are covered with delicate relief-engraved floral designs. A small oval panel on the forearm of pistol "1" is engraved with a detailed bear head. Pistol "2" is engraved with a lion head in the same position. A stallion's head is engraved on the bottom of each trigger guard. The pistol grips and the sides of the flared butts are relief-carved decorations. The oval shaped pommel caps feature a detailed Medusa head wreathed in serpents. The pistols have a mahogany French fitted case with a German silver plate in the lid and a green baize lining. The case contains: a pewter oil bottle with urn-shaped top, a carved mahogany cask for percussion caps, a mahogany ramrod, a casehardened single-cavity round ball bullet mold, a mahogany mallet and a combination nipple wrench/screwdriver with fluted walnut handle.
Condition:
Excellent. The pistol retains at 98% of the original casehardened finish and show only very minimal storage wear. The case colors are vivid. The gold inlays are in perfect condition. The delicate, flawlessly executed engraving is crisp. Firing wear is limited to traces of flash pitting on the percussion nipples and faces of the hammer. The poly-groove rifling is very sharp. The walnut grips are in nearly perfect and have almost no handling wear. The case exterior is very good with scattered and very minor handling marks. The green baize lining is bright and remains very good overall. Wear is limited to some very minor oil spots on compartment edges and some torn fabric in one compartment from contact with a pistol foresight. All of the accessories are excellent. The case is missing one tool and has an empty compartment. This is a magnificent set of deluxe casehardened, engraved and gold inlaid early percussion pistols by one of the best 19th Century Paris gunmakers.
 
 
Product Number: 2633