Skip to main content
Rock Island Auction Company
AuctionsConsignmentLatestFAQAbout us
Log InCreate Account
Rock Island Auction CompanyRock Island Auction Company
Contact us
1-309-797-15001-800-238-8022[email protected]
Locations
Bedford, TX
3600 Harwood RoadBedford, Texas 76021, USA
Rock Island, IL
7819 42nd Street WestRock Island, Illinois 61201, USA
Hours
Monday - Friday8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Navigation
AuctionsConsignmentLatestFAQAbout usAccount
More Info
Terms & ConditionsPrivacy PolicyJob postings & CareersOrder a catalogContact
Social media
© 2025 Rock Island Auction Company. RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. Click here for more information.
Healthcare Transparency in Coverage.
Disconnected
Unable to connect to live update server, attempting reconnection. If this persists, please try refreshing your browser.
Disconnected state indicated by at top of page. If you cannot see this icon, you are connected.
Rock Island Auction Company
Hello.
Please Log In, or .

Home
Auctions
Consignment
Latest
FAQ
About us

  • /Auctions...
  • /Catalog...
  • /Lot 351

Lot 351:Jacques-Louis Arault Flintlock Turn-Off Pocket Pistol

December 3rd, 2021|Rock Island, IL
  • /Auctions...
  • /Catalog...
  • /Lot 351

Lot 351:Jacques-Louis Arault Flintlock Turn-Off Pocket Pistol

December 3rd, 2021|Rock Island, IL
Price Realized:
Login to viewLogin to view
Price obfuscated
Estimated Price$25,000 - $35,000
Log In to use Wishlists
Share

Extraordinary Silver Mounted, Gilded, and Relief Chiseled Flintlock Turn-Off Pocket Pistol by Royal Gunmaker Jacques-Louis Arault of Versailles

Jacques-Louis Arault was active in Paris and Versailles around 1742-1780 and was a gunmaker to Louis Auguste, Dauphin of France (later King Louis XVI) and also to his youngest brother Charles Philippe de Bourbon, Count of Artois (later King Charles X ). Louis XVI is most famous for his marriage to Marie Antoinette and their deaths at the hands of French revolutionaries, but Americans should also remember him for assisting our own revolutionaries during the American War of Independence. Charles X ruled for six years prior to the July Revolution of 1830. This ornate pistol is signed "ARAULT- A/VERSAILLES" on the folding trigger and has a beautiful blend of intertwining classical martial designs, floral and foliate flourishes, and rococo scrolls set-off by contrasting gilded backgrounds that even extend to the slender neck of the cock. The grip is cast silver and has two subtle hallmarks near the top in one of the scrolls, and the rifled barrel unscrews for easy loading. The floral band at the junction of the barrel and action lines up perfectly and hides any semblance of a seam and is a true testament to the skill that went into this pistol. Aside from the frizzen screw, the pistol has no visible pins or screws. There is a hole at the back of the action that the included tool fits into for removing the grip.

Rating definitionVery fine with vibrant gilded backgrounds, gray/brown patina on the barrel and exposed iron, lightly aged patina on the brass grip, minor oxidation, and beautiful engraving. Mechanically excellent aside from the safety. This is a beautiful pistol overall and would have been well-suited as a personal arm of a member of the French aristocracy and would now enhance any collection of fine arms.
Details
ManufacturerFrench
ModelMuff Pistol
TypePistol
ClassAntique
Barrel1 5/8 inch round
Finishgold/silver/bright
Gripsilver
Item LocationRock Island, IL
Views2986
Catalog page205
Find MoreRelated Items
Lot 579U.S. Historical Society George Washington Flintlock Pistols
View Lot
Lot 64Engraved and Silver Inlaid Heinrich Diem Signed Flintlock Pistol
View Lot
Lot 61Engraved Flintlock Powder Tester
View Lot
Lot 187British Sommers & Stanley Flintlock Pistol with Bayonet
View Lot
Show More