Beautiful High Art Silver Mounted English Flintlock Pistol by Jover & Sons (AH8431)

Made circa 1790. 68 caliber with an 11” swamped barrel. This is a beautiful high art gun with solid silver Mounts. Both the barrel and the lock are Gold inlaid. There are 3 stampings at the rear of the barrel. Central, on top is marked "JOVER" "& SON" "LONDON" all under a crown. Two flanking stamps depict relief renderings of lions rampant. The barrel is further embellished with flush gold inlay having swags of acanthus & shield motif at center, 4 bands of acanthus at rear, & a single band around muzzle. London gunmakers proofs are on bottom right flat where covered by stock. Breech iron has gold acanthus at top front & deep relief engraved flower & shell motifs behind integral sight. Flint lock, with rebated tail is fitted with serpentine cock, fully waterproof gold lined pan, roller frizzen, (roller is on feather spring which is nicely filed with bulbous finial). Lock internals show well filed termination to main spring & circular fancy bridle. Lock is also finely embellished with gold inlaid acanthus on chamfers of cock & lockplate. Central area under pan & face of cock are flush gold inlaid with shield & flags. "JOVER" is engraved on scroll at center. The tail of the lockplate is also engraved with shield & flags. Frizzen is engraved with swags of acanthus. Trigger is set. Half stock with horn tip is of dark root European walnut & is silver mounted. Mounts consist of relief cast trigger guard with armorial elements of helmet & flags for finial. Trigger guard bow depicts a shield & more flags. Trigger guard has been gilded & this treatment extends to central oval of grip cap which depicts a full relief knight in armor with helm. Grip cap itself is not gilded and is full relief cast with cannon, flags, shields & power kegs. Side spurs have gadrooning. Multi pierced sideplate is also high relief cast with armor, flags, helmet, etc. Crestplate at top of grip is of armorial design surmounted by helmet set with an emerald. Silver thimble is relief cast. Rear of trigger guard is stamped with hallmarks for London, Sterling, kings head (after 1784), makers initials "M.B." (Moses Brent) & date stamp "o" (1789-90). This date corresponds to the time when the Jovers, William & his son William were in partnership working as Jover & Son between 1784 & 1796. Stock is further embellished with silver wire inlay of scrolls & dots around grip & breech iron tang, with inlaid floral decoration behind tang. Stock mounts to barrel with single captive side bolt through oval feather burst engraved silver escutcheons. Greenheart ramrod with engraved silver tip and steel worm tail mounts through beaded silver pipe & matching thimble. CONDITION: fine, barrel retaining most of what appears to be an old rebrown worn through on sharp edges & with many minor marks. Lock retains a fair amount of what appears to be an old case hardening color, some bright blue is on feather spring. Stock is refinished with oil over a fair number of marks both light & heavy. Silver retains most all of its detail, inlay has no losses. Bore is somewhat pitted, lock is very fine mechanically. Gold lining of pan shows some lifting & scratches.