A Good, Antique, 18th century, King George IIIrd Flintlock Officer’s Pistol by Wheeler, Used in the Peninsular War and Waterloo

Named to its owner, John Vine of Staining Lane. Walnut stock with fabulous age patina, with slab-sided grips, all brass furniture and trigger guard with acorn finial. Made by Wheeler of London. Two stage octagonal to round steel barrel with silver X foresight. A very nice officer's and gentleman's flintlock pistol from the 1790's used in the Napoleonic Wars period, the Peninsular War of Quatre Bras, & Waterloo. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly owing to the application of modern mass conscription. French power rose quickly as Napoleon's armies conquered much of Europe but collapsed rapidly after France's disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812. The alliance led by Britain and one of it's finest General's, the Duke of Wellington, brought about Napoleon's empire ultimately suffering a complete and total military defeat resulting in the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in France and the creation of the Concert of Europe.

The last photo in the gallery shows a photograph of one section of the collection in the museum of Waterloo, taken in around 1900, showing all the weapons of Waterloo en situ, including all the protagonists {British, French, Prussian and Belgian muskets, swords, pistols, armour uniforms, etc}. The museum was founded and owned by a veteran of the 7 th Hussars that fought at Waterloo

Code: 21443