Dating to the 1820s prior to Westley Richards using a system of serial numbers, this extremely rare double flintlock gun bears the maker’s stamps “WR” on the underside of each barrel. With browned damascus barrels each with a gold inlaid line at the breech end, platinum lined touch holes, and concave rib with bead front sight, signed “WESTLEY RICHARDS” in gold and with further gold inlaid lines. The underside of the barrels struck with Birmingham proof marks. Casehardened grooved standing breech profusely engraved with foliage. Casehardened flat bevelled locks each signed “WESTLEY RICHARDS”, engraved with a duck, sunbursts and border lines, and with stepped tail, rainproof pan and roller. Furniture including trigger plate with pineapple finial, blued trigger guard engraved with a foliate trophy, and butt plate engraved with a further duck on the tang. Straight grain walnut half length stock with raised cheekpiece, checkered grip and twin barrels keys on the forearm. The wrist with blank oval silver initial escutcheon. Iron ramrod.

Fine. The barrels retain near 100% rebrowned finish and no apparent loss to the gold inlay. Standing breech and locks each retaining 60% faded later casehardened finish. Engraving clear throughout. There is some scattered slight corrosion marks/pitting visible beneath the finish on various components. The left hand cock has been replaced as has the top jaw and screw of the right cock, both frizzen steels have been refaced. Trigger guard retains traces of blued finish. Stock has been refinished with a varnished finish and has well-defined checkering, some repairs visible at the wrist and forend, and a grain crack visible beneath the cheekpiece on the left side of the butt. Later ramrod. Mechanically fine. Provenance: The Malcolm King Collection.