BLOOMSBURY, LONDON, NO. 170, CIRCA 1830

with rebrowned twist sighted barrels (some old rust patination) signed in full along the rib, London proof marks, case-hardened breeches each with platinum plug, and engraved duck above two platinum lines between, long slender tang engraved with a line of flower-heads and with scrolling foliage, signed border engraved back-action locks each retaining some case-hardening and decorated respectively with partridges and pheasants in landscapes, border engraved dolphin hammers each decorated with foliate scrolls, highly figured half-stock with chequered grip, border engraved steel mounts decorated with foliate scrollwork along the heel tang of the butt-plate and with foliate scrolls inhabited by a serpent on the bow of the trigger-guard, trigger-plate engraved with foliage and a pheasant in a landscape on the pineapple-shaped finial, vacant silver escutcheon and barrel-bolt escutcheons, and original copper alloy-mounted ramrod with threaded cap over the worm: in contemporary lined and fitted copper alloy-mounted mahogany case with some accessories including Sykes patent powder-flask with leather-covered body and leather shot-flask, the exterior of the lid with circular vacant copper alloy escutcheon centred on a folding copper alloy carrying handle, 74.5 cm barrel

Joseph Spires is recorded at 47 Great Russell Street, London between 1823 and 1834.