A US auction of Historic Firearms and Militaria saw a Spanish pedreynal miquelet pistol lead bids on October 25.
 The only example of a pedreynal to be offered at auction in recent memory |
The Pedreynal is first mentioned in Cervantes' Don Quixote, which was originally published in 1604. This type of pistol is unique to the renowned gun making area of Ripoll in Spain and is highly sought after by collectors.
The example at auction has a very long 23.5 inch barrel, which is characteristic of the pedreynal, and is said to closely resemble the example currently on display at the Museo de Ripoll. Fitted with a "transitional" miquelet lock, it is perhaps the only example of its kind in private hands and is the only one to be offered at auction in recent memory.
The pistol dates to 1625-1650, with the top of the barrel engraved with its maker's mark, PRAT, and the face of the frizzen engraved with the lock maker's marks, V A LL S. With strong bidding from collectors, it sold for an impressive $29,900.
Also starring was a William III British flintlock musket, which was first discovered in Virginia. Created circa 1690-1710, it bears the royal cipher of King William III, with the initials TH and D stamped into the stock near the buttplate.
Having won the Single Weapon Best of Show award at the Maryland Arms Show in 2006, the musket was sold for $18,400, complete with its original wooden ramrod. The weapon appears to have seen little use when first created and, with its lock damaged, is believed to have been put aside for repair and then eventually forgotten.
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