Only a total of 3,000 of these pistols were manufactured by Simeon North of Berlin, Connecticut, circa 1808 to 1810 for the U.S. Navy. This model is particularly significant as a handgun used by the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812 and also due to Simeon North's pioneering methods of production used in the series. He is one of the key figures in developing interchangeable parts manufacturing. This example is correctly manufactured without sights, has brass mountings, a full-length stock, brass flash pan with fence, iron belt hook, and an iron back strap that extends from tang to the brass buttcap. The lock plate is marked with the spread eagle motif above "U. STATES" ahead of the cock and "S. NORTH/BERLIN./CON." vertically at the tail. It is likely the "Navy Pistol" seen second from the bottom on the right of the image of "The Simeon North Collection of Guns" donated by North's great-grandson Ralph H. North to The Franklin Institute and illustrated in the 1944 article "The Origin of Interchangeable Parts" by Thomas Coulson, Director of Museum Research at The Franklin Institute. North was co-author of "Simeon North: First Official Pistol Maker of the United States."

Good as cleaned. The pistol has gray patina and mild pitting on the iron, aged patina on the brass, moderate overall wear, an uneven muzzle, and a replaced iron ramrod. The refinished stock is fair and has a cracked wrist, chips at the tail of the lock, minor cracks elsewhere, and numerous light scratches and dents. Mechanically fine. Provenance: Ralph H. North, great-grandson of Simeon North, and The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.