This cased set of Egg flintlock pistols were once part of the Red Skelton collection. Nevada casino pioneer and founder of Harrah's Hotel and Casinos, Bill Harrah, presented these pistols to Red Skelton in 1962, a popular American comedian from the late 1930s to the early 1970s. This extraordinary cased set has been consigned by the Skelton family. Red Skelton was the opening act at the South Shore Room which was part of the Harrah's Lake Tahoe Hotel. Bill Harrah opened the South Shore Room in 1959 at a cost of $ 3.5 million. Playing at a 750 seat showroom allowed Skelton and Harrah to make entertainment a priority at the hotel. The lock plate has a floral border and scroll engraving and is signed "JOSEPH EGG". The top barrel flat is marked "JOSEPH EGG No. 1 PICCADILLY LONDON". A gold inlaid band is featured on the breech of the barrel. Fixed sights, swollen tipped wooden ramrod and sliding hammer safety. The engraved scrollwork extends to the barrel tang and trigger guard. The trigger guard has a pineapple finial. The full length stock features checkering on the grip area, a single barrel wedge with silver escutcheons and silver thumb escutcheon. The partitioned case with brass furniture holds the second pistol and the following accessories: a ramrod, key, iron bullet mold and Sykes powder flask. The inside of the case has a paper Joseph Egg label as well as an added contemporary paper insert providing a short biography of Joseph Egg who served as Royal Gunsmith from 1780 to 1835. With the pistol is a second case that holds the wooden case. This case is bound in black leather and the inside of the lid has a plaque that reads, "To/Red Skelton/The WORLD'S/GREATEST CLOWN/JAN. 4, 1962 TO JAN. 24, 1962/FROM/Bill Harrah".

Extremely fine as period English refurbished. The barrel retains 95% blue finish and the trigger guard retains 70% original blue finish with the balance a smooth gray patina. The remaining metal surfaces have a smooth gray patina. The stock is very fine with some minor handling marks and overall crisp checkering with most of the varnish remaining. Hammer is cracked otherwise mechanically fine. The case is fine with the lining showing high spot wear, a loose partition and some minor handling/storage marks. Most of the Egg label remains.

As described in "A".

Extremely fine as period English refurbished. The barrel retains 95% blue finish and the trigger guard retains 40% original blue finish with a smooth gray patina on the balance. The remaining metal surfaces have a smooth gray patina. The stock is very fine with some minor handling marks and overall crisp checkering with most of the varnish remaining. Mechanically fine. A pair of high quality pistols produced by a well known British gunmaker and from quite possibly the most famous, certainly most beloved and of a well known 20th century comedian.