Lot 176

Flintlock Fowling Piece by Froment of Erlangen

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Flintlock Fowling Piece by Froment of Erlangen

Estimate: $5,000 - $8,500

Starting Bid: $4,500

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
August 21, 2026 9:00 AM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Ornate Flintlock Fowling Piece by Froment of Erlangen Inscribed with the Coat of Arms of a German Prince This rifle by Pierre Froment of Erlang in Bavaria north of Nuremberg in the first half of the 18th century has a silver wrist escutcheon engraved with the coat of arms of the House of Oettingen or one of its branches based from Schloss Oettingen in Oettingen in Bayern in Bavaria south of Erlang. In addition to the normal aspects of the coat of arms, there are books by the dog supporters' feet and an elephant at the bottom. The latter may relate to the House of Helfenstein. It may have been made for Prince Franz Albrecht I (1663–1737) or Prince Johann Aloys I (1707–1780) of Oettingen-Spielberg. There is also a brass "HL/81" tag on the bottom of the buttstock. The long smoothbore barrel has a brass blade front sight, long sighting flat with scroll rear finial, raised scroll design ahead of the breech, a rear rib engraved with a musketeer, and dished tang. The "banana" profile lock is signed "Froment A Erlang" along the bottom and has light scroll engraving, a mask cock screw, and filework on the tail. The iron furniture is decorated with scroll patterns, grotesque masks, and mythical beasts and includes attractive piercings. The full-length stock has raised molding and flats, some inlaid wire scroll elements, and a fairly robust butt.

Manufacturer: European

Model: Flintlock

BBL: 46 1/2 inch round

Stock: walnut

Gauge: 11

Finish: bright

Serial NumberNSN

Class: Antique

  • Provenance: The Tom Lewis Collection
  • Condition: Very good with silver-gray patina, mostly crisp engraving and markings, a repaired lower jaw of the cock, a replacement frizzen, and generally minor overall wear. The refinished stock is good and has most of the inlays absent, some cracks and repairs mainly in the butt, and moderate overall surface wear. Mechanically fine. Overall, a very attractive hunting gun certainly suitable for a prince's armory.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000