A quality cased set of percussion cap dueling pistols, complete with the assortment of tools their use required, the lockplate oval bears the likely name of the maker, "Cazes a Paris". The pistols have a Damascus pattern on the barrel, indicating the quality of the casting. There is a small shell carving at the tip of the forearm of each pistol, and leaf carvings at the base of each grip. The pistols are in top mechanical order.
The barrels measure 9¾ inches with sights at the tip. Except for the barrels, the guns have light engravings throughout and the trigger guards have the original rich blueing. The powder flask for this set is quite nice, with its own embossed cast decoration.
The English burl veneer case is lined with a green baize and fitted in the French style to the exact outlines of the weapons. One spot is empty in the case, while cleaning rod is a more modern replacement for the original. While the act of dueling had fallen in to legal disfavor, no proper 19th Century gentleman would have been far from the availability of such pistols to settle matters on a field of honor with lead bullets and gunpowder.
