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“HOLLIS & SHEATH” OCTAGON-TO-ROUND BARREL POCKET
PISTOL – BIRMINGHAM MAKER MARKED – EXCELLENT CONDITION:
This is a very nicely
executed percussion pocket pistol with enough added
features to identify it as one which would have been
carried by a gentleman of some means.
Measuring 8 ˝” in overall length, the pistol is mounted
with a 5” long .50 caliber rifled barrel. The barrel is
octagon at the breech and it tapers to a round profile
at the muzzle. The percussion cone is fitted with a
silver shield designed to contain the flash and debris
from the detonation of the percussion cap, a nice
feature which served to limit the corrosive effects of
the cap’s fulminate. The breech plug has two decorative
silver bands, the breech plug and tang are nicely
engraved, and the rear sight is incorporated integral to
the tang. The silver front sight is dovetailed into the
muzzle end of the barrel. The bore is clean with
distinct rifling, and has only minor pitting, much of
which would probably polish out if you so desired. The
bottom of the barrel is mounted with an iron rib and a
silver ramrod pipe which holds the ramrod which appears
to be original to the pistol.
The top flat of the barrel
is hand engraved in period style script with a man’s
name which is only partially legible – reading in part
“John D. Tho[mp?]son”. Perhaps the name of the man who
owned this pistol.
The lock is maker marked “Hollis & Sheath” and the plate
and hammer have some simple foliage engraving with an
engraved edge border. The lock is fully functional, the
hammer holds at both the half and full cock positions
and the trigger let off is very crisp.
The lightly burled walnut stock is in overall excellent
condition, showing only very minor handling marks, and
retains its original finish. The grip is finely
checkered in matching panels, and the checkering has
survived with distinct diamonds that show virtually no
wear. The short barrel channel retains sharp edges with
no wood loss. There is a short age crack on the left
side of the stock running the short space between the
lock screw washer and the barrel channel, hardly
noticeable and no doubt stable.
The nose cap, wedge plates, wrist escutcheon plate,
ramrod thimble, and butt cap are all made of silver.
The trigger guard is made
of steel, and the bow and the leading finial are
engraved with some detail.
Hollis & Sheath was located in Birmingham, England at
Weaman Row and 49 Whittall Street, at St. Mary’s
Square. The company was founded in the early 19TH
Century, under the name Hollis Brothers, operating under
that name until 1845 when it was re-titled Hollis
Brothers & Co. That company name continued until 1848
when Isaac Brentnall Sheath and Isaac Hollis formed a
partnership. The partnership of Hollis & Sheath
survived until 1861 when Sheath departed the firm and it
was renamed I. Hollis & Sons. Hollis under this history
of names produced guns for the military and civilian
market, to include rifles, muskets, shotguns and
pistols, and is believed to have supplied guns to the
Indian and Fur Trade in North America. Notably, the
“Hollis & Sheath” name appears on Tranter Patent
Revolvers which saw use during the American Civil War.
This is a very attractive example of an English
gentleman’s Pocket Pistol, and is somewhat reminiscent
of the style of the derringers which had emerged in the
American gun market at that same time. (0718) $1050
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