Louis-Marin Gosset worked as an assistant to Nicolas-Noel Boutet at Versailles in 1793-1813 and was active in Paris until c. 1840. As such, he had extensive experience working with one of the greatest fine arms makers in world history and alongside numerous talented artisans at Versailles. It is no surprise that his pistols are arguably of equal quality to many Boutet arms, and a pair of pistols by Gosset owned by Napoleon Bonaparte as he contemplated suicide after his fall from were recently classified by the French culture ministry as National Treasures. Napoleon's pistols and our current pair both feature the same double wyvern side plate design as well as other similar features, and one of the two pistols in Napoleon's pair was a half-stock pistol like our present pair. The current pistols are accompanied by a June 24, 1958, letter from F. Theodore Dexter discussing these pistols being offered from Irving Moskowitz's collection which centered on fine French arms from the Napoleonic era and a certificate of authenticity for Norman Blank from F. Theodore Dexter dated July 1, 1958. The pistols were displayed at the NRA as part of Mr. Blank's collection in 2004. These c. 1814 pistols feature finely rifled, swamped octagonal barrels with "Gosset" and "a Paris" in gold inlay along with "1" and "2" respectively, engraved platinum inlays, dovetailed blade front sights, and grooves in the breeches that extend onto the breech plugs which feature platinum "LG" monograms and platinum vents. The grooves also extend to the standing breeches which include adjustable notch rear sights and gold inlaid "1" and "2" respectively. The flat beveled locks feature "GOSSET" and floral designs in gold inlay, frizzen spring rollers, platinum lined semi-guttered priming pans, wyverns engraved on the cocks, clouds and lightning engraved on the top jaws, floral engraving on the frizzens, and scenes on the tails of the lock featuring a rooster on the first pistol and a vulture on the second. The spurred trigger guards are engraved with scenes of a squirrel and monkey and enclose adjustable single set triggers. The trigger plate finials have elaborate vase designs with masks. The side plates feature a pair of wyverns flaking a shell motif with gold inlays, and there is also a star pattern inlay towards the front of the stock flats. There are blank silver escutcheons inlaid near the forend tips, and the half-length stocks have checkering, flared pommels with floral carved borders, and floral pattern engraved domed caps.

Fine with bright gold and platinum inlays, light original brown finish and case colors mixed with gray and brown patina, light Damascus patterns, crisp engraving, a small repair behind the trigger on the right, and generally mild overall wear including a few cracks and general scrapes and dings on the stock. Mechanically fine.

See "A." Provenance: The Irving Moskowitz Collection; Displayed at the NRA in 2004 as part of Mr. Blanks Collection; The Norman R. Blank Collection

Fine with bright gold and platinum inlays, distinct engraving, fading original brown and casehardened finish mixed with smooth brown patina, some cracks and repairs in the stock, and mild age and storage related wear. Mechanically fine.