Pair Of Officer's Flintlock Pistols From The Versailles Manufacture, Signed: Nicolas Boutet

PAIR OF SILEX GUNS OF OFFICER OF THE MANUFACTURE OF VERSAILLES, SIGNED "NICOLAS BOUTET", Directory - Consulate. Octagonal barrels slightly blunted towards the muzzle, blued, hallmarked with “CB” “NB” “LC” thunders, all oval surrounded by laurels. The upper sides are signed "BOUTET Director Artist". Caliber 14 mm, smooth barrels. Flat body plates punched "DB" in an oval shaped punch surrounded by laurels, they are signed "Manufre à Versailles". Gooseneck dogs, steel basins. All fittings in plain, polished cut steel. Flat oval caps. Wooden chopsticks with horn tip. Long barrel walnut frames. Barrels length: 23.8 cm, with the breech tail 28.9 cm. Total length of the arms: 36 cm. France. Directory - Consulate. Very good condition, very slight surface oxidation, the barrels have kept 60% of their original color. NOTE: BOUTET Nicolas Noël was born in 1761, he died in 1833. He was director of the Manufacture de Versailles from year 2 to 1818. He is the reference gunsmith for luxury, reward and honor weapons throughout the Directory, the Consulate and the First Empire. He had a warehouse in Paris at 1236 rue de la Loi (rue de Richelieu) in year 11. Then from 1807, at 87 rue de Richelieu. As a private arquebusier, he moved to 23 rue des Filles Saint Thomas in 1823. He practiced until 1831. He had a son, Pierre-Nicolas, born in 1786, died in 1816, which explains a few times the inscription "Boutet et Fils" from around 1806. This model of pistols was often given as weapons of national reward by the executive directory then by Bonaparte First Consul.