EXREMELY RARE**VICTORIAN BANK OF ENGLAND BRITISH ARMY HOUSEHOLD GUARD PICQUET’S**Cased, 1859-1866 London Armoury Company / Alexander Henry Edinburgh Kerr’s Patent 54 Bore Single Action Percussion Revolver. Sn 21218 .54 Revolver

*EXREMELY RARE**VICTORIAN BANK OF ENGLAND BRITISH ARMY HOUSEHOLD GUARD PICQUET’S**Cased, 1859-1866 London Armoury Company / Alexander Henry Edinburgh Kerr’s Patent 54 Bore Single Action Percussion Revolver. Sn 21218 - 21218

James Kerr had been the foreman for the Deane, Adams and Deane gun factory. Robert Adams, one of the partners and inventor of the Adams revolver, was Kerr's cousin. Kerr developed an improvement to the Adams revolver, British Patent No. 1722 of July 28, 1855, and when Adams left the Deane brothers to found the London Armoury Company on February 9, 1856, Kerr went with him. The London Armoury Company manufactured military rifles and revolvers. Kerr's Patent Revolver was an unusual 5-shot revolver manufactured from 1859 to 1866 by the London Armoury Company. Most were made in 44 Calibre (54 Bore) and only a few in the smaller .36 Calibre. It is easily recognised by its side-mounted hammer. " AS SAFE AS THE BANK OF ENGLAND" is a saying that many of us hear from childhood. It may indeed be heard throughout the world wherever English is spoken. What does it signify? It is an acknowledgement that the Bank of England is regarded as utterly reliable in all its undertakings, and anything entrusted to its care as completely safe and secure. The Bank was founded in 1694, as a company in which any member of the public could buy shares: but in 1946 the Government acquired all the shares by Act of Parliament and the Bank is now owned by the Nation. Along with its other financial responsibilities the bank holds vast quantities of the nation’s gold reserves which requires protection as a deterrent against attack & Robbery. Although the word" deterrent" has been used above, the origin of the Bank Picquet (Guard) lay in more active conditions. It began on the 6th June 1780 when the Lord Mayor of the day requested the Secretary of State" for some Horse & Foot in order to protect the Mansion House and the Bank". This was in the middle of the Gordon Riots: that day the mob had burned down Newgate Prison: and the next night they did indeed attack the Bank, but the military guard was in place and the mob was driven off with some fatal casualties. From that day to this the Bank of England has been provided with a nightly guard, generally found by one of the battalions of the Household Brigade fulfilling public duties in London. In the course of the 19th Century it was suggested that the guard should be furnished from the militia but the Court of the Bank did not agree to the suggestion and said that they had great reason to believe that the military guard" was highly approved in foreign countries and they are considered a great Security to the property of the Stockholders, who Bank of England Archive (7A147/3) deem a Guard established from the King's Own Guards as a greater Security than any private Guard". The Court of the Bank to-day are of the same opinion in this matter as were their predecessors. In the early days the march from Barracks to the Bank through the crowded streets caused annoyance to the public as the Picquet jostled the pedestrians off the pavement. As a result of complaints it was subsequently ordered that they should march in the roadway. Of more recent years this caused inconvenience to the traffic: but the sight of the Picquet marching through the streets was a valuable reminder to all and sundry that the Reserves of the Realm were considered so important as to justify protection by the Brigade of Guards. The present arrangements, using army vehicles, give a less obvious reminder but are more economical and more effective. Until 1963 the Guard was mounted in Guard Order and sentries were posted in ceremonial manner. In 1963 the decision was taken to discontinue the ceremonial and since then the Guard has been mounted tactically in an order of dress more appropriate to its modern duties. The strength of the Guard has varied over the years. The Guard has always been under the command of an officer and from 1780 until 1900 consisted of 34 Non-Commissioned Officers and Guardsmen. Between 1900 and 1918 there were two reductions and in 1919 the Picquet was increased again. The composition of the Guard was subsequently changed in 1933, 1948 and 1963. This is an excellent, original, cased Kerr single action revolver issued in the Victorian era to the Army Household Guard Bank Of England Picquet. It is 54 Bore & has the correct captive loading lever and side mounted hammer. The pistol has a 5 ½” octagonal barrel (11 ½” overall). The bore has just light staining & well defined rifling. One barrel flat is signed ‘LAC’ (London Armoury Company) and has Victorian English proofs. It has a brass post fore sight and ‘v’ notch frame rear sight. The metal in the white is clean. The action frame is signed ‘London Armoury Co’ & ‘Kerr’s Patent 10896’. The number & proofs are repeated on the cylinder (the number is the serial number of the gun, and not the patent number). The most interesting feature of this already rare revolver is that the top of the cylinder frame is crisply marked ‘Bank Of England’ no doubt to the Household Guard bank Of England Picquet making this an extremely rare historic piece. Its chequered walnut grip is undamaged. The pistol's Kerr's Patent firing mechanism works crisply. The pistol is contained in its wood case. The felt lined case has compartments which snugly fit the weapon and has room for accessories. The case has a brass lock (key absent). The price for this extremely rare historic cased pistol worthy of further research includes UK delivery. NB As an antique cap & ball percussion revolver no licence is required to own this item in the UK if retained as part of a collection or display. Sn 21218

£5,250.00