This Collier revolving flintlock carbine is believed to have been manufactured c. 1819-1820 in London. It is illustrated and discussed in the American Society of Arms Collectors article "Collier and His Revolvers" by Clay P. Bedford who also noted it was featured in an article by Charter Harrison in the 20th issue of "The Gun Collector" from February 1948. Bedford refers to this example as a blunderbuss in reference to its slightly flared muzzle. The Collier design originates from a design patented by Captain Artemus Wheeler in the U.S. in 1818. One of Wheeler's incredibly rare examples, a U.S. Navy trials revolving rifle, is also in this auction in Lot 1102. Wheeler first patented the design in the U.S. on June 10, 1818. Elisha Haydon Collier, a resident of Boston, Massachusetts, received a patent on an improved design on November 24, 1818, in England, and Cornelius Coolidge, also of Boston, patented an improved design in France on August 5, 1819. Collier's name soon became the one associated with the design. Collier operated "Collier & Co., Gunmakers" in London from 1818 to 1827 and sold revolving pistols, rifles, carbines and shotguns. Blackmore indicates John Evans was associated with Collier's revolvers, and other English gunmakers are also believed to have been involved, including William Mills who formed a brief partnership with Collier as well as Samuel Nock and Thomas Mortimer who are referenced on Collier broadsheets. Collier firearms display the high quality workmanship typical of the best London gunmakers. Total production of Collier firearms is estimated to be approximately 150 pieces split into several variations. Samuel Colt is believed to have seen Collier's revolvers on his 1830-31 voyage to England and India as a sailor on the Corvo and to have been influenced by the design; indeed, the Collier patents and testimony from Collier were part of the 1851 court case brought by Colt against the Massachusetts Arms Co. due to Colt's patent being considered an improvement on the Collier and Wheeler patents. Colt also covered the Collier in "On the Application of Machinery to the Manufacture of Rotating-Breech Fire-Arms and Their Peculiarities" and the publication shows a carbine similar in design but without a bayonet on page 52. This carbine has a 14 inch round, smoothbore barrel that has a gradual taper in the bore to approximately .67 caliber at the muzzle. The gunmetal five-shot cylinder's chambers measure around .60 caliber (20 bore) and are recessed at the front to lock over the breech end of the barrel creating secure alignment and a better gas seal. The cylinder is manually rotated by first pulling rearward to bring the chamber away from the barrel. The carbine has an automatic primer magazine built into the frizzen. The pan is automatically primed when the frizzen is closed via a "tooth" on the pan and a ratchet on the side of the magazine. The barrel and frame are jointed by a fluted top strap. The carbine has a flat-faced, flush-fitted lockplate signed "E.H. Collier Patent No 9" in the same fashion as Collier No. 1 in the Smithsonian. The inside of the lock is not marked. No. 6 is known to have a "NOCK" marking indicating his shop may have produced the locks for these early Colliers. The barrel has an under lug with a latch for the 8 1/4 inch sprung "snap bayonet." The nicely figured English walnut stock has an iron, musket-style buttplate and the ramrod inserted into the stock at the toe. The ramrod has a horn tip. Provenance: The J. N. George Collection; The Bill Funderburg Collection; Property of a Gentleman

Very good. The barrel, receiver, lock plate, cock, automatic primer, side plate, trigger guard and buttplate have a silver-gray patina with light pitting and scattered age discoloration. The markings on the lock are clear. The cylinder has an attractive, un-polished, aged "mustard yellow" patina. The highly figured stock shows numerous light storage and handling marks but remains in good overall condition. The cylinder rotates and seals properly, and the action is crisp. All Collier revolving pistols, rifles, carbines, and shotguns firearms are extremely rare and historically significant firearms. This carbine is one of the rarest and earliest of all the Collier revolving firearms.