The consignor indicated that Dr. Leonid Tarassuk (formerly Arms & Armament curator at the Hermitage) authenticated this combination gun as made for King Frederick Wilhelm III of Prussia (b. 1770- d.1840, r. 1797-1840) in 1827. The wrist escutcheon has the king's royal monogram. The barrels are a fine Damascus embellished with gold and silver inlays including dual bands at the muzzle, clouds with lightning bolts on the breech section, a torch with a Dacian Draco style motif wrapped around the staff, floral designs, and chevrons at the breech end. They are equipped with a silver The left barrel is smoothbore, and the right is rifled. The gun was originally a late flintlock and was updated in the period to percussion. The breech plugs have inset gold "G. PISTOL" maker's marks, sliver bands, and a silver and gold mask design on the rib. The underside of the right barrel has a "Gp" mark, "R," "GP.," and "772," and the right breech plug has "Gp" and "772." The underside of the left barrel has the same "Gp" mark followed by "GP." and "1827," and the plug has "GP." The standing breech has floral and border engraving and is marked "772." The locks were converted from flintlock and retain the sliding safeties though they do not engage the hammers. In place of the frizzens, they have rotating hammer stalls. Both have floral and border engraving. The locks are signed "G. Pistor" on the right and "in Schmalkalden" on the left in ornate script. The furniture features primarily elaborate scroll and floral engraving. The trigger plate finial includes a man using his hand to shade his eyes as he peers at something in the distance. The trigger guard bow has a panel scene with a god, fallen stag, and hunting horn. The stock has German silver wedge plates, checkering on the forend and wrist with molded borders, a sliding wood patch box, large cheek rest with raised relief carved scroll accent at the rear, and scalloped carving along the edges of the butt. Sling swivels are fitted to the bottom of the butt and the mid ramrod pipe.

Fine with attractive natural aged patina on the silver, bright original gold, crisp engraving, patterns of original case colors visible on the locks, darker case colors on the professionally restored relief chiseled hammers, silver-gray on most of the remaining surfaces, distinct Damascus twist patterns along the barrels, patches of light oxidation and pitting, and generally minor overall wear. The stock is also fine and has some attractive figure in the butt, distinct carving, some repairs and slivers absent at the edges of the forend, glued repairs under the barrels and locks, an over-sized patch box lid with absent retaining spring, and some minor scrapes in the otherwise crisp checkering. Mechanically fine.