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in America Volume I: The Percussion Period” by R.L. Wilson and L.D. Eberhart. The authors note that J.M. Jones of London, Ohio, was “One of a handful of American Blacks engaged in making guns in the 19th century” and that “Jones ultimately moved to Toronto, Canada where he continued his trade. With workmanship that often approaches the exquisite, Jones’ pistols are today
considered collector prizes.”
The pistol features a six-groove rifled barrel turned round at the muzzle with a dovetailed silver blade front sight, “J.M. JONES” signed on top, engraved border at the breech, and
a sculpted breech plug with gold bands and gold plug. There is a notch rear sight on the standing breech. The lock and silver furniture feature fine border and scroll engraving. The
bird’s head grip stock has checkering and a Schnabel tip. James Monroe Jones (1821-1906), known as “Gunsmith Jones,” was from an enslaved family in North Carolina, but his father, Allen
Jones, saved money by working in the evenings and nights and purchased his family’s freedom and moved them to Ohio where Jones attended Oberlin College and graduated in 1849, becoming the fourth African American to graduate with a bachelor of science degree. He moved to Chatham, Canada West, in 1852. In Canada, he was connected with runaway slaves in Chatham and signed onto the Provisional Constitutional Convention with radical abolitionist John Brown and loaned him $75. Jones skills did not go unrecognized. He won a medal at the Montreal Manufacturing and Trade Fair for a pair of his derringers in 1859 and won first prize in 1864 at the Provincial Exhibition. James Gooding of the “Canadian Journal of Arms Collecting” wrote that Jones was “one of six Canadian gunsmiths who had the skill...to be compared with the best in the world.” In addition to derringers, he also produced high quality rifles similar to the famous Hawken rifles.
CONDITION: Very good with crisp engraving and signature, bright gold, dark aged patina on the silver, brown patina on the barrel and lock, mild oxidation, and
minor overall wear. The stock is also fine and has crisp checkering, a faint crack on the left, minor scratches and dings, and a nice figure. Mechanically fine.
Estimate: 5,500 - 9,500
LOT 188
Massive Broomhead & Thomas
“Celebrated American Hunting
Knife” with Sheath - This imposing
Bowie style knife has an 11 inch clip point
blade that is over 2 inches wide and is marked
“BROOMHEAD & THOMAS/CELEBRATED AMERICAN/
HUNTING KNIFE” on the left ricasso. The scales are red
stained stag, and the fittings are German silver. The sheath is red leather with silver fittings.
CONDITION: Fine. The blade has mottled oxidation, light pitting, and
scratches. The
fittings have
aged patinas.
The scales are very
good with only light
handling and storage wear. The sheath is also fine and has some minor dents and scrapes.
200 Estimate: 5,000 - 7,500
LOT 187
Rare Documented Gold Banded, Engraved, and Silver Mounted Derringer Percussion Pocket Pistol Signed by African American James “Gunsmith” Jones - NSN, 41 cal., 2 inch octagon bbl., brown/
casehardened/silver/gold finish, walnut stock. This pistol is featured and discussed on page 214 of “The Deringer
James "Gunsmith" Jones