I suspect someone just got a bargain.
Today's Pook&Pook auction had a very nice Scottish boxlock by Mortimer. Damascus barrels. Interesting details filed around the top lever. Wonderful condition, in a leather case serial numbered to a different Mortimer gun a few hundred off. The lot sold for $1400 to an onsite bidder.
Beyond just being a very nice looking double, it turns out this same gun was sold by Bonhams in 2010 for £ 3,600.
Here's Bonham's description:
A 12-bore boxlock ejector gun by Mortimer & Sons, no. 7699
The treble-grip action-body with bouquet and foliate-scroll engraving, the top with carved scrolls, much hardening-colour, chequered triggers, well-figured stock with escutcheon, engraved TACM intertwined, and engraved heel-and-toe plates, the browned damascus barrels with game-rib engraved Mortimer & Son, 86 George St, Edinburgh
Weight 6lb. 11½oz., 14½in. stock, 30in. barrels, approx. cyl. & ¾ choke, 2½in. chambers, London nitro proof
In a Mortimer & Son leather case for gun no. 7504
Footnotes
Literature:
H. Lee Munson, The Mortimer Gunmakers, 1753-1924, p. 136, pls. 210 and 211. The gun was completed in 1907 for Thomas Alfred Clark Mortimer (1840-1912) who had taken over the family business, aged 20, after the abrupt death of his father in 1860. Upon his retirement in 1907, shortly after this gun was completed, he sold the business to two former employees, and died five years later
Bonham's certainly provided more information than Pook&Pook, who had only this to say:
Mortimer & Son, Edinburgh double barrel side by side hammerless shotgun, 12 gauge, the nitro proof Damascus barrels inscribed Mortimer & Son, 86 George St. Edinburgh, the scroll engraved receiver inscribed Mortimer & Son, having a scroll engraved break lever, tang, trigger guard, and butt plate, 1" bronze monogram to lower side of butt stock, in a fitted Mortimer & Son labeled case, 30" barrels, 13 1/4" pull. SN #7699 | Estimate $800 - 1200 | Condition: Overall fine condition, mirror bores, strong case colors on receiver, tang and lever, case with mismatched serial number and shows wear.
You have to wonder about the decline in value from $4637 (including premium but excluding import costs from the UK to the USA) in 2010 to $1750 today (hammer+premium). Is this due to the size of the auction house? Whether provenance was provided? Or a decline in value?
I think it also should give us a reminder to leave good notes for our families for when they liquidate our collections. We may know the details, but I don't think we can count on anyone else close knowing them.
BTW, I did bid, but not as much as I would have had I not just added another Greener to my collection last week. I really like Greeners but this Mortimer would have been a nicer add to the collection!
