Mr. Pike, The photo below contains two partial page photos with entries for Francotte 61523. The upper photo shows the inventory from 1907 which begins on the previous page. Note that the category of the guns is described at the top as "Special Francotte". and several of the guns are marked as "Sample". By 1907 VL&D offered more than 20 different models of Francotte guns and it appears that there was an effort to reduce that number and rename most of the models that were to remain in the inventory. This was completed in 1910 and the models offered at that time were (least to most expensive) Knockabout model and grades No. 10, 11, 13, 14, 17&1/2, 20,25,30 and 45. By 1921 the models 10, 17&1/2 and 20 were dropped from the line. It is my opinion that the "sample" guns listed here were ordered to evaluate whether they were to be included in the reduced line. The model numbers were determined by dividing the price of the model in 1910 by the number 10. For example the unusually named model 17&1/2 sold for $175. The models 11 and 13 were single barrel trap guns.
Francotte 61523 is the next to the last gun in the upper photo and is described as follows: serial number 61523, "Sample", 20 gauge, 5lbs.4 oz., 28 inch barrels, Damascus, 2 & 5/16 inch drop @ heel. The next entry "sg" could mean straight grip. There is no entry for a sale so the gun was transferred to the 1908 inventory further down the same page. The only new information is that on 12/22/08 the gun was sold to "George J. Gould". Mr. Gould was the son of one of the original "robber barons" of the 19th century, Jay Gould. Like his father George J. was a railroad tycoon.
There is a penciled entry between the word "Damascus" and the date of sale, It reads: C as a superscript then ehnzf and it is a coded entry of the
Cost of your gun to VL&D. The code uses the names of the numerals from 1 to 9 plus zero in German. This would have been Eine, zeHn, Neun, Zwei, Funf or numerically 10925 or 109.25 but is it dollars or Deutsch marks?
If you have any questions just post them here.
Bob Beach
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