Some of the most beautiful work of this craftsman, and many others, are in this book “Liège Gunmakers through their Work. 1800 - 1950”.
For more detail see: LIEGE GUNMAKERS
Joseph Maréchal
The Belgian revolver J. Maréchal
John (Johannes) Munts is commercial out of weapon of Amsterdam. The trade of Munts always exists with the following address: Middenweg 110 in Amsterdam.
We launched a research to the royal museum of the army to Delft to Holland. Question is to know why the currency “Je maintiendrai” (In French!!), who am the currency of the Netherlands, is on this weapon!!
Here is the answer of the Dutch correspondent with all our thanks:
Munts was a well-known gunmakers in Amsterdam. His shop was for years located at the 110 Middenweg in that city; the building is still standing today, however the shop has been closed some time ago.
Around 1890-1900, Munts had his weapons made by various suppliers, and often - if not always - at Liège. He had his own logo stamped on the guns (Munts or Joh Munts) and sold the weapons to various official and governmental authorities. Among others, the local communities, who purchased weapons for their local police and country police.
The mention "Je Maintiendrai" (Princes of Orange's devise) stamped on the presented revolver indicates it was once property of some local police corps.
Those revolvers were most often in the 9,4 mm caliber and featured a safety lever. Since the local communities ordered their weapons according to their own specifications, some variations can be encountered.
The safety lever was meant in the first place to avoid the policemen to kill himself accidentally with his own gun, what happened once. On some guns the safety is of the Mauser-type, on others it is an external hook on the left side of the frame that engages a chamber and locks the cylinder. Also encountered is a more sophisticated system that locks the mechanism by turning the swivel ring a quarter of a revolution.
Bart vd Zwan
Maréchal
Joseph Marechal
This revolver carries the mark of Joseph MARECHAL manufacturer of weapons registered to the bench of tests of Liege of 1897 to 1899. It changes then corporate name to become DEVALDE & MARECHAL registered with the bench of tests of 1900 to 1901. MARECHAL then seems to take again the reindeers of the company while becoming MARECHAL & Co registers of 1901 to 1902, etc... until 1945.
It also carries punches official and recognized universally bench of test of Liege, is:
1. Spangled ELG in an oval crowned which is the punch of acceptance of the test and which was of use of July 11, 1893 to February 26, 1968.
2. Double P reversed spangled which is the countermark of a controller of this organization and which was of use of 1877 to 1968. The list of agreement of these letters with the names of the inspectors (19th century) was unfortunately destroyed!
In conclusion:
This weapon carries only the mark of Joseph MARECHAL, it was thus manufactured between 1897 and 1899!
GG
