Collier's revolving cylinder firearms are very scarce. Less than 250 total are estimated to have been manufactured across four variations, and they are rarely seen publicly listed at auction. Per the consignor and our own research, verifiable provenance is traced to Tasmania in 1931, and likely back to the 1800s. This is only one of two known pairs of matching E.H. Collier Second Model revolving flintlock pistols extant. Each pistol is marked internally with a different serial number (82 and 66) as was usual, and both pistols are marked "E.H. Collier/82 PATENT" on the lock plates, "E.H. COLLIER/82 PATENT" on the primer magazines, and "E.H. Collier 82 London" on the barrels indicating they were manufactured as a true pair, likely around 1822. They have a rich panoply of martial and musical themed engraving on the lock plates, top frames and trigger guards along with attractive border designs. The rear section of the lower ribs is checkered. They have complex cylinder designs. Silver eight-pointed stars with floral blooms in the center are inlaid in the left side of the stocks above the triggers. They also have post and notch sights, decorated squareback trigger guards, and checkered stocks with swelled butts. The barrels are .474 cal (44 bore) smoothbore. The pistols are very similar in overall design and ornamentation to Collier pistol no. 55 which is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The designs were patented by Artemus Wheeler of Concord and Bostonians Cornelius Coolidge and Elisha Haydon Collier. Wheeler patented the design in the United States of America on June 10, 1818. Collier patented on an improvement of the design in the United Kingdom on November 24 of the same year, and Coolidge patented Collier's improved design in France on August 5, 1819. "Collier & Co., Gunmakers" of London in 1818-1827 sold variations of the design in the form of pistols, rifles, carbines and shotguns. The design allows for five relatively quick shots, ten in the case of a man armed with this pair of pistols. Both the First Model and Second Model variations are flintlocks. After experimenting with clockwork-assisted rotation in the First Model, Second Model Colliers have manually rotated cylinders and automatic primers. On these Second Models, the lock is brought to half-cock, and then the cylinder is pulled rearward and rotated by hand. When the cylinder is in place, a rebate at the front of the cylinder envelopes a shoulder on the barrel at the breech creating a tight seal. An arm on to the left of the frizzen/primer magazines rotates a mechanism in the lower section of the frizzen which drops a measured priming charge into the pan when the frizzen is closed. The First Model used a slightly different automatic priming mechanism, different lock design, unfluted cylinder, and one had a "brass" gunmetal cylinder. Later variants, known as Third Models, using percussion ignition (the first known use of caps for a revolver) were also manufactured in limited numbers. It remains unclear whether Collier & Co. manufactured any of these firearms aside from perhaps the prototypes and instead had them manufactured by other London gunmakers. Per Howard L. Blackmore in "Gunmakers of London, 1350-1850," the guns were manufactured by John Evans (John Evans & Son) in London, and then the patent was taken over by William Mills around 1830, and some revolvers were sold by a partnership between Mills and Collier. Blackmore also notes William Elliot Lee of London as patenting the design in Paris in 1823, and he may have been an agent or manufacturer for Collier as well. Other gunmakers, such as Samuel Nock, are believed to have been involved in manufacturing at least some of the finished guns or components. Samuel Colt is believed to have seen Collier revolvers on his 1830-31 voyage to England and India as a sailor on the Corvo and to have been influenced by the design; indeed, the Collier patents and testimony from Collier were part of the 1851 court case brought by Colt against the Massachusetts Arms Co. Colt's patent is considered an improvement on the Collier and Wheeler patents.

Fine with 30% original blue on the frame and trigger guard, patch of bright original niter blue on the primer arm, mostly mottled gray and brown patina on the balance, Damascus patterns visible along the barrel, crisp engraving and markings, minor pitting (mainly on the cylinder), mild wear from firing on the frizzen, and generally light wear throughout. The stock is very fine and has crisp checkering, smooth finish, and minimal minor marks and scratches. Mechanically fine.

See A.

Fine with 40% original blue on the frame and trigger guard, most of the bright original niter blue on the primer arm, mottled gray and brown patina on the balance, nice Damascus patterns visible along the barrel, crisp engraving and markings, some minor pitting concentrated on the cylinder, mild wear from firing on the face of the frizzen, and some general minor wear. The stock is very fine and has crisp checkering, smooth finish, and some slight marks and scratches. Mechanically fine. These Collier revolvers are significant pieces of firearms engineering history given they are the earliest "mass produced" revolving firearms, and they are incredibly hard to find. A pair like this is unprecedented, and this may be the only time they are available.