This extraordinarily beautiful rifle at first glance appears very much to have been a rifle made in England; however, this beautiful rifle was in fact produced and originally sold in Baltimore, Maryland, around the end of the War of 1812. This history is discussed in the included typed and signed 1985 document from W. Keith Neal who noted the rifle was never used and "is in original condition...throughout and is the finest American made rifle of the period circa 1810-1815 in existence." The rifle was made by renowned gunmaker James Haslett (1773-1833), one of the most talented gunmakers working in the United States in the early 19th century. The majority of the limited number of firearms by Haslett that we have examined could easily have been misidentified as from one of the leading London gunmakers if it were not for their Haslett markings and lack of London or Birmingham proof marks and hallmarks. He was born in Ireland in 1773 and completed an apprenticeship at "one of the first gun makers in Europe" as his advertisements stated before being brought over to the U.S. by Robert McCormick to serve as the foreman of his factory in Philadelphia in 1798. He remained in Philadelphia when McCormick went bankrupt in 1801 and worked privately there until moving to Baltimore in the middle of 1803. That June, he advertised that he had opened a shop at 64 North Gay Street. His shop moved again to 4 Light Street and then was located at 28 Water Street by 1805 under the "sign of the golden gun." He served as an officer in both the Maryland Militia and the U.S. Army during the War of 1812 and also repaired and inspected arms used in the fight against the invading British Army. With the return of peace, Haslett continued to work at his gun shop. See "James Haslett, Baltimore Gunsmith, and the War of 1812" by Frederick C. Gaede for more details. The fact that Haslett actively served in the War of 1812 makes the jointly British and American nature of this rifle particularly fascinating. This incredible rifle is featured in "Steel Canvas" by R.L. Wilson on page 80. This rifle features a browned Damascus barrel with seven-groove rifling, decorative design on the muzzle, gold bands at the muzzle and breech, a band of gold floral inlays between the bands at the breech, a dovetailed silver blade front sight, dovetailed notch rear sight, "HASLETT. BALTIMORE" in gold inlay on top of the breech section, and a gold lined vent. The breech plug is hooked, and the standing breech features floral and rabbit engraving. The lock features a sunken gold lined "HASLETT/BALTIMORE" maker's mark, a rainproof priming pan with gold lining, frizzen spring roller, burst design between the cock and fence, floral engraving towards the rear, and a sliding half-cock safety. The rifle is equipped with a single set trigger. The wrist escutcheon is gold. The remaining mounts are silver and include a forend cap, wedge escutcheons, engraved trigger guard with pineapple finial and scene with a dog and deer on the bow and burst design towards the rear, buttplate with a deer scene and floral blooms around the screws, and a very elaborate four-piece patchbox which features the Grand Union flag (1776, first U.S. national flag), a club, spear, scimitar, drum, and a 19-star U.S. flag (c. 1816-1817 as seen on the USS Constitution) on the finial; a cleverly concealed release button at the top of the hinge, pierced side plates with scroll and armorial figure designs, and hunting trophies on the lid. The figured walnut half-stock features fine checkering on the forend and wrist, two wedges, and an oval shadowline cheekpiece. Provenance: The Colonel Richard (Dick) Cooper Collection; The Norman R. Blank Collection

Extraordinarily fine. The varnished barrel retains 85% of the original brown finish along with distinct Damascus twist patterns, bright gold inlays, and minor wear from age and storage. The lock and standing breech still exhibit original case colors. The mounts have attractive aged patina. The engraving and markings remain crisp throughout. The stock is very fine and has crisp checkering, attractive figure, smooth oiled finish, light scratches and dings, and general minimal overall wear. The lock is mechanically fine. This is a beautiful rifle by one of the most well-respected gunmakers operating in the coastal cities in the U.S. in the early 19th century.