Here's a neat smokepole I picked up a couple months ago. These have a neat history and pop up occasionally.
This particular model is a neat study in the dizzying politics of pre-unification German states. The German Confederation (not to be confused with the later Prussian-led North German Confederation) was an Austrian-led attempt to re-establish a Holy Roman Empire type arrangement in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars. During the revolutions of 1848, a quasi state (still debated as to how legitimate it really was) called the "German Empire" was declared and began enacting legislation from Frankfurt. One such legislation was the establishment of a Navy for use in the First Schleswig War against Denmark. The navy was referred to by several names (adding to the confusion of an already confusing time), though historians generally use Reichsflotte (Imperial Fleet) The fleet was established with contributions from member states. On June 4th, 1849, the Reichsflotte engaged in its first and only battle at Heligoland, leading to an inconclusive result. When the German Confederation was restored in 1850, the Reichsflotte remained in service until it was formally dissolved by the Confederation in 1852. The ships were sold off and some ended up in the Prussian Navy which was later established after the Austro-Prussian War.
As part of the process of establishing a navy, the officials in 1849 also commissioned a musket and pistol to arm them. After discussions, they eventually settled on a clone of the 1839 Potsdam musket with a shorter (by about 10.5cm) length for better handling on ships. The Suhl Consortium (Haenel, Schilling and Spangenburg/Sauer) was awarded the contract for slightly more than 1,000 muskets and approximately 800 pistols. The markings on these arms were unique; The lock bears a maker's mark as well as the German Empire/Confederation double-headed eagle and an anchor indicating naval service. Additionally, the eagle and anchor are located on the left side of the stock, opposite the lock, and on the top of the barrel.
Upon dissolution of the Reichsflotte, the muskets and pistols were sold on the surplus market. The majority of the muskets were eventually acquired by the City Council of Philidelphia in 1861, who were looking to arm a home guard against potential Confederate invasion. The City hired Andrew Wurfflein, a noted gunsmith, to inspect the firearms. Wurfflein's stamping, along with the Philadelphia marking are on all observed examples of this musket.
This particular example was in untouched condition and likely sat atop a fireplace for many years, as the heat caused some flaking in the finish. The stock stampings are still very crisp. The rear block sight (something the Postdam muskets were known for) was ground off, as was the case with many Civil War Potsdams. I do have a spare rear sight I will likely install if the spirit moves me. The serial numbers appear to match (#16) There isn't much to say other than sharing some pictures.
This particular model is a neat study in the dizzying politics of pre-unification German states. The German Confederation (not to be confused with the later Prussian-led North German Confederation) was an Austrian-led attempt to re-establish a Holy Roman Empire type arrangement in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars. During the revolutions of 1848, a quasi state (still debated as to how legitimate it really was) called the "German Empire" was declared and began enacting legislation from Frankfurt. One such legislation was the establishment of a Navy for use in the First Schleswig War against Denmark. The navy was referred to by several names (adding to the confusion of an already confusing time), though historians generally use Reichsflotte (Imperial Fleet) The fleet was established with contributions from member states. On June 4th, 1849, the Reichsflotte engaged in its first and only battle at Heligoland, leading to an inconclusive result. When the German Confederation was restored in 1850, the Reichsflotte remained in service until it was formally dissolved by the Confederation in 1852. The ships were sold off and some ended up in the Prussian Navy which was later established after the Austro-Prussian War.
As part of the process of establishing a navy, the officials in 1849 also commissioned a musket and pistol to arm them. After discussions, they eventually settled on a clone of the 1839 Potsdam musket with a shorter (by about 10.5cm) length for better handling on ships. The Suhl Consortium (Haenel, Schilling and Spangenburg/Sauer) was awarded the contract for slightly more than 1,000 muskets and approximately 800 pistols. The markings on these arms were unique; The lock bears a maker's mark as well as the German Empire/Confederation double-headed eagle and an anchor indicating naval service. Additionally, the eagle and anchor are located on the left side of the stock, opposite the lock, and on the top of the barrel.
Upon dissolution of the Reichsflotte, the muskets and pistols were sold on the surplus market. The majority of the muskets were eventually acquired by the City Council of Philidelphia in 1861, who were looking to arm a home guard against potential Confederate invasion. The City hired Andrew Wurfflein, a noted gunsmith, to inspect the firearms. Wurfflein's stamping, along with the Philadelphia marking are on all observed examples of this musket.
This particular example was in untouched condition and likely sat atop a fireplace for many years, as the heat caused some flaking in the finish. The stock stampings are still very crisp. The rear block sight (something the Postdam muskets were known for) was ground off, as was the case with many Civil War Potsdams. I do have a spare rear sight I will likely install if the spirit moves me. The serial numbers appear to match (#16) There isn't much to say other than sharing some pictures.