Captain Cook's pistol set to be auctioned

NEARLY 250 years after British explorer Captain James Cook landed in Australia, his pistol is set to be auctioned in Melbourne.

The Melbourne auction house Leski Auctions on Thursday announced it would offer the Endeavour commander's Continental Flintlock holster pistol for auction next month.

Charles Leski said the pistol, which is expected to fetch between $100,000 and $200,000, provided a "tangible link" to the man who landed in Sydney in April 1770.

"There is a wealth of memorabilia available that is associated with the icons of Australia, be it Bradman, the Kelly Gang, Phar Lap, Kingsford Smith or Mawson," Mr Leski said in a statement.

"Yet James Cook, arguably the most significant of that group in terms of his impact on Australia as a nation, has left us virtually nothing."

Mr Leski said the auction house could "confidently argue" that the former captain of the Royal Navy left his DNA on the early 18th century pistol.

The lock of the pistol, which sports a 31cm long barrel, is signed "Corbau-A-Maastricht", a reference to its Dutch gun maker, Godefroi Corbau Le Jeune.

It's not the first time the pistol has been up for auction.

Mr Leski said the former Melbourne Lord Mayor Ron Walker bought it in 2003 from Cook's descendants at an auction in Edinburgh, Scotland, after it had been bequeathed to the family by the explorer and remained in their possession for more than two centuries.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Captain Cook's pistol set to be auctioned

Dengan url

http://cucidollaran.blogspot.com/2013/01/captain-cooks-pistol-set-to-be-auctioned.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Captain Cook's pistol set to be auctioned

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Captain Cook's pistol set to be auctioned

sebagai sumbernya