In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith once wrote: "A coward, a man incapable either of defending or of revenging himself, wants one of the most essential parts of the character of a man." Decades later, Andrew Jackson commented "...unless some mode is adopted to frown down by society the slanderer, who is worse than a murderer, all attempts to put down dueling will be in vain." Such quotes serve to demonstrate that dueling was a persistent affair of honor dating back centuries and lasting in some places even into the early 20th century. Duels were fought for a range of offenses and some men were killed in single combat after only slight offenses. However, as Smith noted, to allow a slight to go unchallenged could lead to a man being known as a coward which in turn could lessen his status in society. Thus, although such violence might be seen as barbaric, duels were most commonly fought between men of high society including political leaders. This attractive pair of dueling pistols are set in a hardwood case with two round brass inlays on the lid and an olive green felt lined interior fitted to hole the pistols, powder flask, tools including an oiler, screwdriver, ball mold, and cleaning rods. Compartments on the top left and bottom right have wood lids. The top left is filled with balls for display purposes and the bottom right has some round cloth patches, the key, a bundle of raw fibers (likely horse hair), and two additional flints. The pistols have round, flat top barrels and are marked "- -LONDON- -" on the flat near the breech. There is a bright blade sight at the front of the barrels, a band at the breech, and a round insert around the touchhole. The locks are bright with light engraving and are marked "- SIMMONS -" below the pan. There wedges and forend inserts are also bright. The upper tang has a small notch for a rear sight, and the trigger guard has a pineapple shaped finial; both have complimentary engraving. The buttplates have a small star burst engraving at the screw. The pistols are fitted on nicely figured stocks with thin checkered grips and horn forend cap. Each has a ramrod with flared brass tip. The only distinguishing difference between the pair is the A gun has an "N" marked on the initial plate while the plate is unmarked on gun B.

Good as period refurbished. The barrel has a retouched brown finish with some striping on the barrel which also has some light scratches. The lock and bright accents remain bright with some gray patina forming. The other components have a smooth brown patina. The engraving and marks are all clear. The brass tip of the ramrod is bright with some residue and light aging. The refinished stock has crisp checkering and a nice smooth varnish with some faint yellow speckling in front of the lock plate and a few minor scratches overall. The sliding safety lock currently is inoperable, but the action is excellent. All markings are clear. The case is in very good condition with only minor wear and some light scratches on the exterior and some slight staining on the interior.

As noted on gun A.

Very fine. The pistol is in very similar condition to gun A with the exception of slightly more scratches on the wood, particularly the forend, no yellow spots, and no residue on the ramrod tip. The action operates excellently, but the safety lever is not operable. All markings are clear.