Pair Of Navy Officer's Pistols

A typical pair of naval officer’s pistols from the Consulate/FirstEmpire period.
Double-fluted bronze barrels, with square flutes at the muzzle tapering toround flutes, reinforced with a ridge at the muzzle. Steel breech block. They are pinned together. Round brass lock frames. One signed Baldinger, the other in Rouen.
Swan-neck hammers, firing mechanisms, and firing springs made of steel. Brass flash guard.
Long-barreled mountings made oflight walnut.
Brass cap, trigger guard, and cleaning rod loops. Cleaning rods made of steel, one serves as a bullet extractor, the other as a cleaning rod. This pair is typical of the period. It is in perfect condition, with a beautiful patina.
A touching detail: the owner engraved his name on the stock of both weapons: “Morris.”
For the record, naval officers preferred bronze in the manufacture of their firearms for obvious reasons of corrosion protection.
Baldinger:mentioned as an active arquebusier in Rouen in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.