A unsigned Lexington School rifle just sold at Morphys Auction in PA. Despite no visible barrel mark, damage, and later additions, it has a chance... even if a small one... of being a special rifle. No rifle by Lexington gunsmith Edward West has been found, despite West being a highly skilled early gunsmith, silversmith, goldsmith, and inventor of importance in early Lexington. His father, Edward Sr., was a gunsmith as were several other West relatives in Kentucky, who all came from Virginia. West descendants said West never signed his work, including guns, but an "E.W." mark on a few early silver pieces may be his stamp.
The new rifle has several fascinating details:
1. Its guard and butt plate styles suggest it was made by a Virginia-trained gunsmith, not a North Carolina-trained gunsmith like Kentucky's early Bryan gunsmiths.
2. The patchbox is a pre-War of 1812 style with rare large "Q" finial and its odd side leaves have not been seen before. It may prove to be a sheet brass box rather than the standard cast brass box which, with its odd side leaves, suggests an early, unknown gunsmith.
3. The side plate is unique on a Lexington rifle, being a military style plate suggesting manufacture before the War of 1812, or perhaps when war was becoming a possibility.
4. Important detail... the side plate is beautifully engraved in a pattern and style not seen before, and the quality of engraving suggests a professional engraver like a silversmith with formal training. The border is high quality, and the five-petal flower is very well done: together they may provide the needed clues to determine if the gun was made by Edward West.
The side plate's engraving follows no other known pattern on a Lexington rifle, and its quality suggests a professional engraver. Fortunately, a few pieces of West's silver survive that have engraved surfaces and strong family provenances, even if unsigned. I am hoping a search of Edward West silver pieces will turn up an example with a border, or a flower head, similar to the ones on the rifle's side plate. It's a long shot for sure, but at least this rifle offers a glimmer of hope that it may prove to be the first identified Edward West rifle... which would be a HUGE discovery for early Kentucky gunmaking.
A final detail deserves comment. The original patchbox lid was lost, and a modern lid was added. A Lexington style, lozenge shaped silver inlay probably graced the original lid similar to most better Lexington rifles. It may have been saved, since an oval inlay with "refreshed" engraving was inlaid into the wrist, with a matching inlay added on the opposite side. But despite such alterations, additions, and lack of a barrel signature, a potentially fascinating story may be in this rifle's future.
Shelby Gallien
