A pair of 28-bore flintlock duelling pistols by J. Blanch of London circa 1820 having heavy browned twist octagonal sighted barrels each stamped with barrelsmiths mark of William Fullered and respectively with Irish registration mark AR 2715 and AR 2716 for County Armagh on the bottom flat.

Border engraved patent recessed breeches each with platinum-lined touch-hole, rectangular makers mark and line, tangs each with back-sight and engraved with a martial trophy and foliage, border engraved flat detented locks each signed in gothic script and decorated with a starburst behind the rainproof pan and with fronds on the tail, ring-neck cocks en suite and each with engraved safety-catch behind, steels each with roller bearing on a ramp on the steel-spring, the internal working parts retaining much of their burnished finish.

Figured half-stocks (old light bruising, mainly on the side-flats) each with silver fore-end cap and chequered rounded butt, border engraved steel mounts comprising butt-caps decorated with foliage, trigger-guards each with a martial trophy on the bow, trigger-plates each with pineapple finial, turned ramrod-pipes, gold escutcheons each engraved with owners crest, silver barrel-bolt escutcheons, and original copper-alloy mounted ramrods each with a threaded cap over the worm. In good working order.

Barrel Length - 25cm. Overall Length - 41cm.

** John 1 Blanch was born in 1784 and was apprenticed to Jackson Mortimer whose daughter he married in 1809, the same year he established his business. He worked first for John Manton and then in partnership with his father-in-law as Mortimer & Blanch between 1811 and 1812. He was at 39 Fish St. Hill between 1813 and 1825, and 29 Gracechurch Street between 1826 and 1848. The firm became John Blanch & Son.