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THE OWNER of an ancient peg leg walked away with thousands of dollars after spotting a special detail on the end.
The owner took the old sailor’s leg to a pawn store where an expert revealed that an engraving on the leg proved that it dated back to the 1800s.
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Dennis, the owner, came across the item from one of his students.
The peg-leg pistol had intrigued Dennis enough to buy it from his student but ended up selling it after his wife said she’d had enough.
What made the item so special was that it had a rifle barrel attached to the end of the leg that may or may not have been used to fire ammunition.
A flintlock is a general term for any firearm that uses a flint-striking ignition mechanism.
A flintlock was an ideal weapon for seafarers for personal defense and boarding enemy ships
According to the Pawn Stars, the use of prosthetics dates back to ancient Egypt, making this item extremely rare.
Dennis proposed a deal of $15,000 which was a little more than what he paid for it.
“It’s time to move on to different items. Truthfully, it weirds out my wife,” Dennis said.
The loss of limbs was much more common during the 18th century, especially among sailors. The pawn shop owners said it probably belonged to a high-ranking enlisted officer or sailor.
Essentially, a ship’s carpenter, cook, or barber would be put into service as the ship’s “surgeon.” They would MacGyver tools like this in times of need or battle.
To determine the item’s worth, the pawn shop owners brought in an expert to take a look.
The expert, Alex Cranmer, was trained in International Military Antiques.
What are peg-leg pistols?
A peg leg is an artificial limb that fitted to the remaining stump of a human leg, especially a wooden one fitted at the knee.
This specific peg leg had a flintlock attached to the bottom of the prosthetic. A flintlock is a general term for any firearm that uses a flint-striking ignition mechanism.
A flintlock was an ideal weapon for seafarers for personal defense and boarding enemy ships.
A ship’s carpenter, cook, or barber would be put into service as the ship’s “surgeon.” They would MacGyver tools like this in times of need or battle.
Once British guns were positively tested, they received the proof mark of the crown with the monarch’s initials.
This peg-leg pistol had King George’s initials engraved into it, meaning the leg dates back to the early 1800s.
“I have never seen anything like a peg leg with a flintlock in it ever,” Cranmer said. “This thing is insane.”
Once British guns were positively tested, they received the proof mark of the crown with the monarch’s initials.
The expert confirmed that this peg leg did have King George’s initials engraved into it – meaning the leg dates back to the early 1800s.
However, the expert pointed out that there was a machine-made stitch that ran across the length of the leg which had to have been added later on.
“I don’t think it’s a movie prop. I think it’s much too sophisticated for it. It looks like it would function,” he added.
After testing whether the peg leg was functional, the expert was able to determine its monetary worth.
Dennis finally was able to sell the peg leg for $9,500 which was $5,500 less than his initial asking price.
Meanwhile, a divorced woman recently sold an unusual statue for $20,000, but it may have been a better deal for the buyers.
And magic was in the air when a customer brought an alchemy book to a famous pawn shop.
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