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LOT 1404
Historic Prince of Wales Presentation Cased
Engraved Wilkinson Side Lever Double Barrel Howdah Pistol with
Gold Escutcheon Presented to Captain R.H. Grant, Quarter Master
General of the Prince’s Camp During His Trip to India in 1875-1876 - Serial no. 6565,
577 cal., 6 5/8 inch solid rib bbl., blue/casehardened/gold finish, walnut stock. This pistol is
number 14 of approximately 20 of “howdah” pistols supplied by Wilkinson to the Prince of
Wales (the future King Edward VII) for presentation during the prince’s visit to India in 1875-
1876. In the list of recipients of these pistols in the included documentation, R.H. Grant (listed as
“Major Grant, R.A.”) is the only Englishman. In the included catalog for Wallis & Wallis’s “Special Spring Sale” from
May 25th, 1983, where this pistol was featured as Lot 104, they state that he was the only British recipient of one of
these historic pistols. The prior pistol in this series (sn 6564) is held in the Royal Armouries Collection (Object Number XII.1579). Per the Royal
Collection Trust, “In October 1875, Albert Edward Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Victoria, embarked on an extensive tour of the
Indian subcontinent. Here the Prince visited more than 21 towns and cities before returning to England in May 1876. British monarchs and
members of the Royal Family undertook lengthy tours to strengthen ties with other countries, and also to learn more about the culture and
history of those regions. The Prince of Wales’s tour of India was envisaged as a way of forging diplomatic links between the Indian rulers
and the British Crown. The Prince exchanged gifts with each ruler he met and some of the most significant Indian works of art in the Royal
Collection today were acquired during this tour.” In addition to the round Prince of Wales escutcheon that was standard on the pistols from
this series, the case with this pistol has an added plaque reading: “PRESENTED TO/CAPTAIN R.H. GRANT RA/BY/H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES/
WHEN SERVING AS QR MR GENERAL/OF H.R.H. CAMP IN INDIA/A.D. 1875-6.” The visit in 1875-1876 was covered in “India in 1875-76: The Visit
of the Prince of Wales” published in 1876 in which Captain R.H. Grant, R.A., is listed as the “master of the encampment.” Various newspaper
articles and other period sources make similar statements. For example, The Times on August 23, 1875, reported “Captain R.H. Grant, Deputy-
Assistant-Quartermaster-General, will be detailed for the duty of Quartermaster-General in the Royal camp...” The article “The Prince’s Visit
to India” in Lloyd’s Weekly on August 29, 1875, reports: “It is stated that Captain R.H. Grant, R.A., will form part of the staff of the Prince of
Wales as Quartermaster-General of his royal highness’s camp, joining at Calcutta, where his services will be required in connection with
the Star of India investiture.” The latter is particularly relevant given the inclusion of the insignia of the order on the wrist escutcheon
and the fact that Grant was the only Englishman who received one of these pistols. His involvement with investiture during the Prince
of Wales visit suggests that Grant may have received the pistol on January 1, 1876, the day selected in Queen Victoria’s warrant for the
Prince of Wales to hold an investiture of the Order during his tour. There were multiple R.H. Grants in the service in the period, but he appears
to have been a “gentleman cadet” commissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal Artillery dating to June 22, 1859, and to have served as an aide-de-
camp to Governor Col. Sir William Thomas Denison of Madras in the 1860s. It is clear that by the 1870s, he was promoted to captain in the Royal
Artillery and was one of eight deputy assistant quartermaster generals and was assigned to the Oude Division. Newspapers indicate he retired
with a gratuity in 1878. The concave rib has a bead front sight and is signed “WILKINSON & SON - GUN MAKERS TO HER MAJESTY & THE PRINCE OF
WALES.” The underside of the barrels have Birmingham proofs flaking the “25” bore marking, and the lug is marked “14” designating the number
in this special series. The underside of the barrels and water table have the matching serial number. The non-rebounding back action locks are
signed “WILKINSON/PALL MALL/LONDON.” The breech, action, locks, and furniture have primarily border engraving with some floral accents. The
pommel cap has a lanyard swivel. The checkered walnut stock has a large gold wrist escutcheon with raised Prince of Wales badge surrounded by
the insignia of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India. The case has coordinating brass escutcheon on the lid with the badge of the Prince of
Wales in addition to the noted inscription plaque, a Wilkinson & Son trade label inside the lid, and fitted interior with a coordinating suite of ebony
accessories, including a powder measure, wrench, screwdriver, seater, and cleaning rod with attachments along with a “No 25” marked ball mold,
Hawksley oiler, tow, and two casings.
CONDITION: Very fine with 95% of the period refurbished factory quality blue remaining on the barrel and 80% vibrant case colors, strong traces
of original blue on the inside of the trigger guard and otherwise smooth gray and brown patina on the balance, mild aged patina on the gold
escutcheon, and minimal light marks and scratches. The stock is also very fine and has crisp checkering with a few small dings and handling marks.
Mechanically excellent. The case and accessories are also very fine and have minor age and storage related wear such as a hole in the trade label
from contact with the left hammer screw and a repaired chip on the upper left corner. This is a truly historic howdah pistol presented by the Prince
of Wales during his historic trip to India in 1875-1876.
Provenance: The Richard P. Mellon Collection; Property of a Gentleman.
Estimate: 25,000 - 42,500
Featured in Wallis &
Wallis’s “Special Spring
Sale” from May 25th, 1983