Unmarked US 1798 Contract Flintlock Musket

War of 1812

.70 caliber. 44" barrel. NSN. Bright finish, iron furniture, full-length walnut musket stock with three flat, spring retained barrel bands. Single shot smoothbore muzzleloading flintlock musket with no rear sight, brass blade front sight on the rear strap of the upper barrel band, a socket bayonet lug on top of the barrel, 1" from the muzzle and a pair of bell shaped sling swivels. The 6.25" flat beveled lock has a pronounced teat at the rear and is unmarked. It has a removable faceted, fenced and bridled iron pan. The frizzen toe is curled and the frizzen spring terminates in a rudimentary fleur-de-lis. The flat beveled cock is reinforced and has a heart shaped cut out with a curl at the top of the cock's comb, a feature eliminated at Springfield circa 1804. The lock appears to be in its original flint configuration. The touchhole is well placed in the pan, shows some erosion and retains some angle and taper. The bore is obstructed by steel wool and a broken jag about 4" from the breech, so the breech could not be inspected from the inside. The breech is stamped with an early, post-1797 proof marks of a raised {Eagle Head} over P within a depressed oval with a scalloped border. No other markings are noted. The barrel band spacing is 10.5" from the rear of the breech to the rear of the lower band, 14.625" from the rear edge of the lower band to the rear of the middle band, and 13" from the rear edge of the middle band to the rear of the upper band. The triggerguard plate is 12.75" in length and is of the French pattern. The trigger is of the earliest style and has essentially no reinforcement web, typical of very early US muskets, again a feature that changes substantially starting in about 1801-1802 with the web becoming prominent by about 1803. Early production style short stock with a nominally 12.75" length of pull, 4.25" narrow wrist and a deeply fluted butt. Includes a button head ramrod of the period that is well worn and short of full length. A very solid example of an early American contract musket that remains in relatively complete and original condition. {ANTIQUE}

This lot is located in Cincinnati.

Good. Bore is fair, dark, dirty and rusted with a blockage of old cleaning material and a jag near the breech. Muzzle with some dings and moderate wear, also slightly out of round. Metal is moderately oxidized with a mottled brown over gray patina and some indications of an old cleaning. Metal shows some scattered surface roughness and some light pitting as well, most notably around the breech area. Mechanically functional lock appears to remain in original flint. Stock with a crack in the lower edge of the counterpane, emanating from the triggerguard mounting pin, with some chipped loss around the pin and a crack angling up towards the side plate. Otherwise, wood with moderate wear and scattered bumps, dings and mars and some drying cracks in the obverse butt.

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Mr. Tim Carey

Associate Vice President, Head of Department, Arms, Armor and Militaria

timcarey@freemansauction.com 513.666.4984

Mr. Carey joined Cowan’s, a Freeman's company, in 2021 and is a 40-year veteran of the sporting arms and outdoor recreation industry. Carey joined Cowan’s from Griffin & Howe at Hudson Farms in Andover, N.J., where he was responsible for the acquisition, appraisal, and consignment of top-tier firearms consignments from important makers such as James Purdey & Sons of London, Beretta, Caesar Guerini, B. Rizzini, Bertuzzi, Renato Telo, and Anderson Wheeler.

Mr. Tim Prince

Senior Consulting Specialist, Arms, Armor & Militaria

timprince@freemansauction.com 312 280 1212

Tim Prince has more than 30-years of experience in the field of antique and collectible arms and is a nationally recognized expert in the area of Civil War small arms. A long-time researcher and author, Tim has been a contributing author to two major books about Civil War firearms, including The English Connection: Arms, Material and Support Furnished to the Confederate States of America by Great Britain (2014) and Confederate Shotguns and Southern Agent Marked Shotguns (2017). He was also a major contributor to the recently updated Blue Book of Antique American Firearms & Values – 2nd Edition (2019) as well as the 2010 updates to the Civil War Collector's Price Guide - 12th edition. Over the last decade Tim has authored more than 50 articles on 19th century collectible and military arms, which have been published in such varied publications as Civil War News, North-South Trader, and Military Antique Collector. Since 2016 has appeared as a featured appraiser in the field of Arms & Militaria on the popular PBS television series Antiques Roadshow. He is a member of the American Society of Arms Collectors and currently serves on the board of directors of that organization. He is also a member of and formerly served on the board of directors of the Society of American Bayonet Collectors. Tim is a life member of the Ohio Valley Military Society, the Tennessee Military Collectors Association, the Alabama Military Collectors Association, is a member of the Company of Military Historians and is a member of numerous other colleting groups and societies. He is the owner of College Hill Arsenal, a web based antique and collectible arms retail web site, specializing in the American Civil War and related military items. Tim has engaged in the business of buying, selling, researching, and appraising antique and collectible arms and associated military items for some three decades. Since 2016 he has also served as a senior Consulting Specialist in the field of Arms, Armor & Militaria for Cowan’s Auctions, a Freeman's Company.

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Unmarked US 1798 Contract Flintlock Musket

War of 1812

This lot is located in Cincinnati.

Please email armsarmor@hindmanauctions.com for any additional information or questions you may have regarding this lot.

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Unmarked US 1798 Contract Flintlock Musket

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