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
Van Montagu C.
Here is a nice small gun with percussion bullet signed
by C.
Van Montagu in Ghent. Engraving foliage on
the trunk. Foldable release that comes out when you arm the hammer. Capsule box
in the grip. Canon damas.
The
markings:
ELG on
five-pointed star in oval: accepted until 1893
H under
the crown? : not determined, presumably the manufacturer of the barrel or gun.
The gunmaker
Charles Van
Montagu in Ghent enjoyed a certain
reputation as his china business card indicates that he was the arquebusier of
HRH Prince Philippe (1837-1905), brother of Leopold II, father of Prince
Baudouin and Prince Albert who became the third King of the Belgians.
The term
“patented” refers to the fact that he had a licence to practise, not that he had
filed one or more patents (in any case, we are not aware of them).
Anecdotally, in 1847 he became a member of the “Gild van Sint Antone” of Ghent,
a guild of arquebusiers and gunners which had been re-established under the
French Regime.
GP
Illustrations by PHL
PS: Prince Philippe of Belgium - Count of Flanders.
