FRANCE, vers 1760-1770 BROY in Roanne. Pair of superior officer's pistols. Signed, round-bodied flintlock locks with white polished iron swan-neck hammers. Bezel barrels, ringed, then round to the muzzle. Smooth. Caliber: 15 mm. Hook breeches. Tails of thunder in white polished iron. Decorated with knotted medallions, encircling the SAINT-ETIENNE proof marks, lines of dots and arrows, with the inscription "Canon Tordu", and the sights in a radiating pattern, in gold damascene on a burnished background. Reverse of barrels marked "Tordu", with initials A.O. on palms (proof mark) and incomplete name "... RIEU", probably for MERIEU. Long walnut shafts decorated with filigree and garlands of silver tassels (min. 800) inlaid with thunderbolts. Thumb pieces with oval medallion (virgin) in a silver filigree leaf surround (min. 800). Chased silver fittings (950): pommels with attel decorated with military trophies and radiating motifs, bridges and counterplates decorated in suite and with flowers. Small, illegible hallmarks. With black-stained wooden ramrods with silver-plated tapered heads. Barrel length: 17.6 cm - Total length: 32 cm - Total gross weight: 1.380 g. Scratches and knocks from use; a few chips to the wood; some oxidation to the reverse of the barrels, wood sides; Pistol signed Broy: old break restored to the barrel under the thunder tail; some watermarks missing; one hitch point broken, but present.