A Historic Westley Richards, London, Embellished Double Barrel Shotgun, Used by Big Game Hunter, Adventurer and Author A.S. Mather

Serial no. 5986, 10 gauge, 30-inch side-by-side Damascus barrels with solid rib inscribed WESTLEY RICHARDS & CO. LONDON. German silver bead front sight. Double triggers; extractors; automatic safety. Blued, with case-hardened boxlock breech and fore-end mounts. Bottom of barrels at breech with matching serial number 5986. Bottom of each barrel breech with various proof and maker markings, including NOT FOR BALL. Water table of frame marked with proofmarks, patent reference (Feb. 1. 76) and ANSON & DEELEY/5311/PATENT. Each side of breech engraved: WESTLEY RICHARDS & Co. Silver oval escutcheon plaque inlaid on bottom of buttstock. Matching serial no. marked on inside surface of fore-end wood and engraved on triggerguard tang. Lightly scroll and border engraved; coverage on breech, recoil shields, triggerguard, barrel release lever and fore-end mounts. Lever style fore-end latch. Oil-stained select walnut checkered semi-pistolgrip stocks; checkered horn buttplate. Weight of approximately 13 lbs. Length of pull: 14 3/8-inches.

Condition: Very good. 50% Damascus pattern on barrels; 80% case-hardening on breech, fading on inside of fore-end mounts; gray on outside; 80% blue on frame plate (bottom), and 40% on triggerguard; wear, light nicks, patina and light pitting, mainly on barrels. Stocks with wear, minor nicks, mars on bottom near escutcheon plate, latter with dent. Bores fine.

Note: Westley Richards factory ledgers record Mather's shotgun as follows: [information being requested from factory].

Provenance: Mather family.

Descended from historic figures in colonial America - Increase and Cotton Mather - and from a long line of distinguished Americans, Amasa Stone Mather graduated from Yale University in the spring of 1907, and in June "started together on a trip around the world" (quoting from the foreword to Mather's book chronicling the adventure, by his father, Samuel).

Estimate: $3000 - $4000