*Persian, c.1853–1858, Sea Service Flintlock Pistol, Belgian (Liège) Manufacture, Made by Coquilhat & Digréffe, Obsolete Calibre*
A substantial mid-19th-century flintlock pistol of sea service type, manufactured in Liège (Belgium) between circa 1853 and 1858 by Coquilhat & Digréffe for Persian service, bearing the Liège definitive proof mark (ELG★ in oval)—introduced in 1846 and in use throughout the mid-19th century, consistent with manufacture in the 1850s—together with the “CD” maker’s mark for Coquilhat & Digréffe and a Persian (Isfahan) arsenal acceptance stamp. Measuring approximately 35 cm overall with a 23 cm smoothbore barrel, of obsolete calibre, the pistol is stocked in walnut and fitted with brass furniture throughout, including the trigger guard, butt cap, side plate, and the characteristic iron butt ring commonly associated with robust naval or mounted service pistols.
The heavy barrel and plain, utilitarian construction reflect a deliberate adherence to an earlier service form, a feature that has led to these pistols being frequently misidentified as 18th-century European naval pistols. The flintlock mechanism remains mechanically functional, cocking and dry-firing correctly, and the pistol survives as a complete and honest example of this now well-documented Liège export pattern produced specifically for the Persian state.
Historical Note:
Although long described in the collector market as an 18th-century Belgian or British “sea service” pistol, this pattern is now firmly identified as a mid-19th-century Persian contract arm, manufactured in Liège between circa 1853 and 1858. The lockplate bears the “CD” maker’s mark associated with Coquilhat & Digréffe, a Liège firm active during this period, together with a Persian (Isfahan) arsenal acceptance stamp applied during manufacture prior to final hardening, accounting for its often weak or incomplete appearance.
This reassessment is set out by Udo Lander in “Weißer Fleck – Marine(?)-Pistole aus Lüttich” (Deutsches Waffen-Journal, 2016), which identifies pistols with identical markings as mid-19th-century export arms manufactured in Liège between circa 1853 and 1858 for Persian service, despite their deliberately archaic sea service–type appearance. The article further explains that decades after their manufacture, large numbers entered the international surplus market and were sold by Francis Bannerman & Sons of New York between approximately 1905 and 1925. Their wide distribution through Bannerman catalogues during this later period played a significant role in the pistols’ long-standing misidentification as earlier European naval weapons. Correctly attributed, these pistols represent a well-documented and historically significant example of Belgian arms manufacture for the Persian state in the mid-19th century.
The pistol dates to the 1850s, during the Qajar dynasty, in the early Nasseri period under Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (r. 1848–1896), a time of selective military modernisation in Persia. At the same time, Belgium was a newly independent and rapidly industrialising state, with Liège established as one of Europe’s principal arms-export centres, capable of supplying foreign powers with weapons made to exact specification. Although flintlock ignition had largely been superseded in Europe, Persia continued to procure such arms for secondary and provincial forces, valuing their durability and familiarity. Pistols of this type therefore reflect a transitional moment in Persian military history, shaped by both Persian reform-era requirements and Belgium’s role as a global supplier of military arms.
*Condition*
In honest, original condition, showing expected age and service wear. The stock exhibits scattered dents, abrasions, and an old loss adjacent to the lock area. Metal surfaces display an even grey patina with areas of oxidation and pitting, particularly to the barrel and lock. Brass furniture shows mellow age toning with handling marks. Mechanically sound. Barrel interior unexamined. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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