This rifle has "J Dickert" in script signed on the top of the barrel and has traces of Dickert's trademark after the first initial. Jacob Dickert (1740-1822) was active in Lancaster. His apprenticeship began in 1755 at the age of fifteen, and he was active until his death. He was a Moravian and immigrated from Mainz, then part of the Holy Roman Empire, to Berks County when he was a young boy. He built rifles, muskets, and bayonets during the American Revolution and is known to have had contracts with the State of Pennsylvania and had multiple apprentices including his grandsons that helped spread the influence of the Lancaster school. His rifles have similarities with those built by Andreas Albrecht (1718-1802) at Christian Springs. Like many surviving Dickert rifles, the barrel is wedge fastened and is similar to the Dickert rifles in "Behold, The Longrifle" by Chandler & Whisker and "Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle in Its Golden Age" by Kindig. The patch box has the "Lancaster daisy" finial, pierced side plates, and fine engraving. The curly maple stock has beautiful flame figure, cheekpiece with molded edge and inlaid silver hunter's star, rococo scroll carving on the left side of the butt, incised scrolls at the ramrod entry pipe and rear of the wrist, a silver thumb plate, small silver inlay on the bottom of the butt, and a rich violin type finish.