Dating to the mid-17th century, this musket is similar to the example pictured and discussed on pages 41-42 of "American Military Shoulder Arms, Volume I: Colonial and Revolutionary War Arms" by George D. Moller. That example is noted as "very similar to arms made in Aix-La-Chapelle in the 1650s and known to have been sold to other German and Swiss states. Aix-La-Chapelle, or Aachen in German, is located in western Germany, contiguous to the borders of Holland and Belgium. Germany near present-day borders of Holland and Belgium." The smoothbore barrel has a blade front sight and a later brass notch rear sight. The flat lock has a rounded teat at the tail and no markings. The lock screws have stag-horn washers. The iron trigger guard has a scooped out section below the trigger, and the trigger plate also incorporates a safety at the rear that locks the trigger forward. The full-length "paddle butt" stock appears to be beech with a dark finish and has sheet brass ramrods pipes, forend cap, and buttplate. There are remnants of an old collection label on the bottom behind the trigger guard and a "><" marking a little further back.