Catalog Auction info Auction #145 - Two-Day Sale, March 29th & 30th (#145) 03/29/2025 9:00 AM EDT Closed Starts Ending 03/29/2025 9:00 AM EDT Auction Info Lot #82 British Pattern 1858 Two-Band Percussion Prize Rifle by R.T. Pritchett Presented to Sergeant Chester Earles, 38th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers Click image to enlarge PreviousNextSimilar Items Lot closed - unsold Estimate: $3,500 - $5,000 Description Description: .577 cal, 33” barrel with a bright very fine to near excellent bore showing a little mild oxidation approaching the muzzle and otherwise strong three-groove rifling throughout. This handsome rifle was made by the famous Robert Taylor Pritchett of London, known for his special three-groove rifling and development of the renowned “Pritchett bullet” the swaged smooth-sided hollow base bullet adopted by the British military for use in their superior Enfield cartridge. This rifle also bears a fine period silver plaque on the right side of the buttstock that is neatly inscribed “Presented / To the Sergeants of the / 38th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers / by / Lieutenant Palmer / Won / by / Sergeant Chester Earles / 9th January 1861”. Known by its moniker “The Artists Rifles”, the unit was formed in 1860 and was indeed originally composed of painters, sculptors, musicians, actors and other artists. The official unit designation was the 38th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers until 1881 when it was changed to the 20th. Chester Earles was born in 1821 and trained as a painter and had portraits exhibited at the Royal Academy. He moved to Australia in 1864 and exhibited works at the Melbourne Intercolonial Exhibition and the Victoria Academy of Arts after its foundation in 1870. His oil painting “Ophelia” was displayed at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. Earles remained a Victorian style painter of sentimental subjects until is death in 1905 in Melbourne at the age of 83. This rifle is an interesting intersection of arms and art as we also have examples of Smith & Wesson revolvers in this auction that were displayed at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. The barrel of this rifle retains some generous streaks of its original plum-brown finish throughout mixing with areas of deep gray and some overall light pitting. The lockplate and remaining small parts are similar, mostly a mix of pewter gunmetal and deep gray patina. The barrel shows strong R.T. Pritchett London address and proper London proof marks on the shank, the lockplate also maker-marked. The checkered walnut stock remains in about very fine condition showing honest wear with scattered light dings and a couple of small minor drying cracks forming around the lockplate. The silver plaque has probably been very lightly cleaned at some point in the past but all of the inscription remains strong and it is starting to reacquire a nice mellow tarnish. The proper hardware is intact including the chained nipple protector and a period tompion and the lock is crisp and seems to function well mechanically. The rifle includes printouts regarding the unit and Chester Earles, a copy of “The History of the Artists Rifles 1859-1947” by Barry Gregory and a reprint of “Treatise on the Enfield-Pritchett Rifle” by Henry Jervis-White-Jervis. This is a very interesting rifle with some fascinating provenance for the British antique arms collector. (13D11916-1) {ANTIQUE} (3500/5000) Categories: Firearm Terms and conditions TERMS & CONDITIONS OF SALE The following paragraphs represent the terms under which all sales by Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. are conducted. Bidding on any item in the sale indicates the bidder’s full acceptance and understanding of all terms and conditions of sale. Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. has taken great care in the preparation of the descriptions in this catalog. Although we believe everything in the descriptions to be true, we do not guarantee any part of any description. We recommend that the bidders view the items in person and form their own opinions as to condition, originality, origin, etc. Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. will consider all requests for refunds. If a customer is unhappy with a purchase, we will be happy to discuss a remedy with them. All requests for refunds must be made within 30 days of the sale date. Therefore, it is important that absentee bidders pay for their items in a timely fashion. All requests for refunds received after 30 days of the sale date will not be considered. Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. reserves the right to reject any bid in order to protect our consignor’s interests. PAYMENT POLICY All invoices are payable upon receipt. Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. will accept cash, check, wire transfer, MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express as payment for items purchased. Online payment is available for buyers directly through the online invoicing process. Bidders who fail to pay their invoices in full by the 25th day following the sale agree to have their total invoice amount charged to the credit card listed on file. Credit card purchases are limited to $50,000.00 per customer, per auction. Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. reserves the right to demand cash or hold merchandise until funds are collected in full. There will be a $35.00 charge for all returned checks. A 21% Buyer’s Premium will be added to all purchases regardless of price with a 3.5% discount when paid with check, cash or wire transfer. This premium is to be paid as part of the purchase price. Additionally, the 3.5% cash discount will only apply to invoices paid promptly, within 14 calendar days of the auction. Buyers should be aware of common delays in the mail and if that is a concern they are welcome to call our office to receive wire transfer information. No items are to be removed from our facility until paid for in full by the purchaser. GUIDELINES FOR FIREARM DELIVERIES All Federal, State and Local firearms laws will be strictly adhered to. FFL holders may take possession of any firearm on day of sale (excluding Class III) when they present a signed copy of their Federal Firearms License. If an FFL dealer is sending an “agent” to pick up items, that person must be a bona fide, paid employee of the company with a W4 on file. Outside contractors cannot be used as pickup agents. A SIGNED LETTER FROM THE FFL STATING THIS FACT MUST BE PRESENTED AT TIME OF PICK UP. The FFL Dealer will in turn be notified that a transfer was made to you as their agent. New Hampshire residents over the age of 21 may take possession of any firearm, on day of sale, provided the proper paperwork is completed and the transfer has been approved either through the N.H. State Police or the FBI NICS System, whichever is appropriate based upon the type of firearm(s) purchased. Non-resident individuals from states without waiting periods may take possession of long guns on day of sale after completing the proper forms and successfully completing a NICS check. If you reside in a state with a waiting period, your items will need to be shipped to a dealer in your state. No modern handguns will be delivered to non-resident individuals. All modern handguns purchased by non-resident individuals will need to be delivered to or shipped to an FFL holder in the buyer’s home state. Buyer is responsible for any and all shipping charges and all items must be paid for on day of sale. 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NOTE: Items that meet the age requirements but have been altered from their original configuration may NOT be delivered on a C&R License. ABSENTEE/TELEPHONE/ON-LINE BIDDING • As a service to our buyers, Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. will accept absentee bids from bidders who cannot attend the sale. Bidders without prior credit approval are required to submit a 20% deposit prior to bids being accepted (credit cards may be used for absentee deposits). Absentee bids will be bid in a competitive manner and an absentee bidder needs only to outbid another buyer i.e. bidding will not be opened at the maximum bid unless that is the next competitive bid. Because we do not open at the absentee bidder's top bid (unless that is the next competitive bid) there is a chance that the absentee bidder's bid may tie with a bidder using a different bidding method (live, Proxibid or telephone bidder). If an absentee bidder wishes to guard against this occurring, they may complete an absentee bid form with a "+" after the bid amount and forward that bid sheet to our office to be entered by Amoskeag. When a "+" is added after the bid amount, the bidder authorizes Amoskeag Auction Co., Inc. to make one additional bid in order the break the tie. Buyer is responsible for any and all shipping charges. Properly registered Amoskeag On-line bidders may use this service free of additional charges as an alternative to telephone or absentee bidding, at their election. On-line bidders should be aware that the sale sometimes proceeds at a very rapid pace and should plan their bidding strategies accordingly. • Amoskeag Auction Co., Inc. will not be held responsible for errors or omissions of any type that may occur during these services. • All absentee bids must be received by 8:00pm on the day prior to the auction. If you plan to attend the sale but will not be staying until the end and want to leave a bid on an item that will be sold after you leave, we must have those bids in by 8:00am on the morning of the sale. No bids will be accepted after that time. Please do not call the gallery once the auction has started (after 9:00am) as we will not be able to accept bids or make changes to bids. • Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. will also accept telephone bids on a limited basis. Telephone bidding is reserved for seriously interested bidders. In order to bid by telephone, the bidder must be willing to pay at least the low estimate of the item being bid on. NOTE: Phone bids MUST be arranged by 5:00pm ON THURSDAY prior to the sale. • All absentee/telephone bidder invoices are issued by end of business on the Tuesday following the sale; all invoices are due upon receipt. Invoices are to be paid either by cash or check, or by credit cards listed above. All items not paid for within 20 business days from sale date shall be considered abandoned as well as any deposit that was made on those items and Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. shall have sole discretion as to their disposal. SAFETY WARNING Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. does not warranty the safety of any article it sells. Therefore, it is imperative that, before you use any firearm, purchased here or anywhere else, you have it examined by a qualified gunsmith to determine whether or not it is safe to use. SHIPPING • Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc. will make every effort to ship items in a timely fashion. All items, with the exception of Modern and C&R handguns, are shipped via UPS Ground unless other arrangements have been made. All merchandise is shipped Signature Required. • All Modern and C&R handguns are shipped via UPS Next Day Air service. • Buyer is responsible for any and all shipping charges and for insurance on the items being shipped. Purchasers who self-insure can forego insurance charges if Amoskeag Auction is notified of your intent to self-insure. PICKING UP MERCHANDISE • Pickup will be by appointment only. • OUR OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY AND TUESDAY FOLLOWING THE SALE. No merchandise will be delivered on those days. We will resume normal business hours on Wednesday. • Our office hours are Monday through Friday - 8:00 am to 4:00pm.
