This is an extraordinary example of a very elaborately gold inlaid, carved stock, flintlock double barrel rifle made for royalty. The top of the left barrel has a large gold inlaid "Gottfr Kreisler" , the right barrel has "und Weigandt" and the rib "in Leipbig"?. All have decorative gold scroll designs around them. The breech plug and tang have gold inlaid floral designs and hunting dogs. The muzzle of the barrels has an engraved band. The left lock has the same marking as found on the rib and the right lock has the makers name repeated all in gold inlay. In addition the locks have a gold arrow border with a gold field scene of a dog and a rabbit and the sides of the hammer have gold floral designs. The top of the upper vise jaw has gold inlaid crossed arrows. The inside of the flash pans and around the flash holes are gold. The trigger guard is made of horn and the bow and finial are elaborately carved. Brown Damascus barrels, with casehardened breech plug, tang, hammers, locks, pans, frizzens and springs. There is a wooden ramrod with a sling swivel mounted on the rear pipe. The stock has fine skip line checkering with patterns of small tacks and a decorative, floral style carved border. The forend is a carved wolves head with pearl eyes and the center gems absent. The top of the stock, directly behind the barrels is elaborately carved, the flats are bordered with a carved feather design and there is a crown over shield silver thumb plate. Horn buttplate with ivory escutcheons around the screws.

Very fine. The barrels retain 60% original brown finish, mainly concentrated on the breech end, with some thinning to a smooth gray patina and most of the Damascus pattern remaining. The breech plug retains almost all of the original bright case colors with a mix of smooth gray patina and original case colors on the tang. Most of the original case colors remain on the remaining surfaces with areas of smooth dark patina. The left hammer has been repaired (during the period of usage) and the gold in the area of the repair is gone, otherwise all of the gold remains. The stock is fine with a few small hammer dents on the right side of the buttstock and overall minor dings, dents and scratches, with crisp checkering. There is a moderate chip on the left front of the trigger guard and there are cracks in the ivory or bone escutcheons on the buttplate. The action is excellent. A very nice elaborately decorated flintlock with carved stock. This extraordinary, newly discovered, German "MASTERPIECE" is quite possibly the finest ones of its respective types that we have ever offered for auction.