Possible Nimschke engraved gun - Engraving Forum.com - The Internet's Largest and Fastest Growing Engraving Community

maico75 · #1 07-20-2009, 04:33 PM

I recently aquired a Sharps derringer produced 1859-1860 that appears to have Nimschke or Nimschke school engraving on it. I hear the the Wilson book on Nimschke is the best source of info but I am not able to pop $300 for it after blowing my allowance on the gun itself. Are there actual pictures of original tracings in the book that could help me identify my gun? I will try to add pictures. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks -Preston

JRon · #2 07-20-2009, 05:27 PM

Preston:
I've sen a lot of L.D.N.'s work over theyears. Send me some photos with different views and I'll do a little research, in the mean time, go over the entire surface with a glass and check for his initials etc. If it is genuine, you are looking at some huge bucks (this ain't antiques roadshow but!!!!)

good luck,
JR

ron · #3 07-20-2009, 07:33 PM

Preston .. I hate to disappoint you but I dont think this L D N work .. I do a lot of Colts and I have all of the Wilson books along with the orginial L D N book .. Ron p

maico75 · #4 07-21-2009, 10:15 AM

Thanks for the input, I have enclosed a couple more pictures. A couple of things to concider with this gun- If the gun was new (1860) when it was engraved it would have been early in Nimschkes career and probably too early for someone to copy his style. The gun is quite small and is fairly worn barely showing any trace of the original plating. I have not yet had a chance to look for any initials. Did Nimschke sign or initial all of his work including the early work? The serial number does have a banner around it but I don't have a picture at this time. Thanks again -Preston

Roger Bleile · #5 07-21-2009, 10:21 PM

Mr. Maico 75,

I have studied the work of the worlds engravers for over 30 years and in particular that of Louis Daniel Nimschke. If you will go to this page of my glossary you will find a brief biography of LDN: http://www.engravingglossary.com/Han...ossary%20N.htm

LDN was active from about 1850 to 1900 though he was already a trained engraver when he immigrated from Germany. LDN did not sign many of his works as it was not the custom at the time to do so so. You will only find his name or "LDN" or LDN Eng" on his most elaborate or unusual guns and also on the hundreds of fakes out there. In fact, a Nimschke signature on any gun without strong provanance, especially if it is not highly ornate, should be considered a fake until proven otherwise.

It is my opinion that the engraving on your Sharps is contemporary with the manufacture of the gun. It is also my opinion that it is not by LDN though the style of scroll is very similar. Your conclusion that early in LDN's career others were not copying him is correct however the style of scroll that he is best known for was not entirely unique to him and was in common use by German trained engravers.

There are certain telltale signs that I look for in work that was possibly done by LDN that I will not go into here. In any case it would be worth your while to send the pictures to JRon and let him do some more research. If I had the gun in hand and could examine the cuts under high magnification I could give a more positive assessment but with what I have to go on I do not think it was done by LDN.

CRB

maico75 · #6 07-22-2009, 06:51 PM

Thanks for the input Roger. JRon, here are some more pictures. Let me know if you need more and of what area. There is a chance that I can get even closer images with some equipment here at work. Thanks for any research you are willing to do. -Preston

Roger Bleile · #7 07-22-2009, 09:29 PM

Preston,

Those are pretty good photos. Much better than we usually get when someone is inquiring about "who done it."

I just checked Nimschke's engraving record of pulls shown in "L.D.Nimschke Firearms Engraver." There are only a few Sharps pepperboxes in the record and unfortunatly yours is not in there. The ones he recorded are pretty ornate. This does not totally rule out your gun because he did not make a pull of everything he ever engraved.

One of the problems I have with it being an LDN is the backstrap. I have never seen an example of Nimschke's work that used such a motif on the backstrap. Also the cuts show rushed or hurried execution which is typical of factory engraved guns of the period. Nimschke was more deliberate in his execution since his reputation was connected with every gun whereas the factory engravers were largely unknown outside the factory and they were under pressure to complete the gun and get on to the next one.

CRB

maico75 · #8 07-23-2009, 10:35 AM

Thanks Roger, I have to agree about the workmanship on the backtrap and the serial number area, it seems to be of a lesser quality. The extra banner next to the serial number almost seems to be waiting for the new owners name or initials. This would go along with the factory engraver theory plus it looks like it was silver plated (maybe 5% still visible) which was a factory option. Sounds like this one gets a " New York Style" engraving classification at best? Thanks for all your help, I thought this one deserved a little research. -Preston

edspeer · #9 01-23-2012, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maico75

I recently aquired a Sharps derringer produced 1859-1860 that appears to have Nimschke or Nimschke school engraving on it. I hear the the Wilson book on Nimschke is the best source of info but I am not able to pop $300 for it after blowing my allowance on the gun itself. Are there actual pictures of original tracings in the book that could help me identify my gun? I will try to add pictures. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks -Preston

Yes, the R. L. Wilson details every gun that Nimschke engraved and shows all the original engravings for every surface of every gun. Send an image to my email (edspeer@comcast.net) and I will try to find it in the book, scan it and send back to you.