Silver Mounted Kentucky Flintlock Rifle by J. B. Maus 

.32 cal., 41" octagonal barrel. Signed on top of barrel J.B. Maus. Engraved lockplate marked London Warranted. The rifle has numerous brass and silver applied embellishments. Elaborate pierced four-piece brass patchbox, engraved patchbox lid, pierced sheet brass comb plate, pierced sheet brass toe plate, pierced sheet brass side plate. Lower butt molding is also done in pierced sheet brass; engraved pierced sheet brass forestock plate. Brass buttplate, brass triggerguard, nosecap and ramrod ferules. Silver engraved eagle inlay on the left side of buttstock at the buttplate. Three silver inlays on the molding; two silver inlays above the cheek piece molding with a long pierced eight-pointed star in a circle. Engraved silver inlays on each side of the wrist. Silver thumb piece with quarter moons front and back of thumb piece. Twenty engraved silver inlays on both sides of the stock parallel with the barrel. Barrel has a unique rear hooped barrel sight located above the breech and a buckhorn sight on the barrel ivory blade front sight. Finely striped curly maple stock.

Private collection. (Illustrated and described in Schorsch: 2011, figure 13.2, pp206-207.) 

Ex Jane Katcher Collection of Americana

Barrel is very sharp and crisp, smooth with most of the brown finish just slightly darkening. Lockplate and parts have a nice brown patina. Brass and silver with nice patina. Stock is very nice with beautiful untouched dark patina blending with a red patina. The workmanship in this rifle is of outstanding quality, and certainly places it in the top.