Presentation from the French Prime Minister C1817

Offered here is an astounding piece of French history. A superb flintlock from the renound French gun maker Le Page and presented by the French Prime Minister, the Duke of Richelieu, to Francois Joseph Lefévre (1755 – 1820) in 1817.
The inscription reads
Présenté à Francois Lefévre Duc de Danzick Sénateur de L’Empire Offert par le Président du Cobeil des Ministres Francais e Duc de Richelieu
The translation reads
Presented to Francois Joseph Lefévre Duke of Danzick, Senator of the Empire, Offered by the President of the French Council of Ministers, the Duke of Richelieu
Lefévre enlisted in the military at the age of 17 and had a long and distinguished career. In the Revolutionary Wars he was first wounded protecting the Royal Family before then joining the revolution. He then later supported Napoleon in his coup d’état and served throughout Napoleonic Wars.
In 1800 Napoleon made him a senator and then in 1804 a Marshall of the Empire. After Lefévre besieged and took the Polish city of Danzig, in 1807, he was awarded the title ‘Duc de Danzick’, Duke of Danzig. He was also one of the few commanders who survived the disastrous French invasion of Russia in 1812.
During the First Restoration, King Louis XVIII made him a Peer of France. However, when Napoleon escaped imprisonment on the island of Elba, Lefévre quickly rallied to his support.
When this presentation was made in 1817, Armand-Emmanuel du Plessis de Richelieu was the President of the Council of Ministers, in modern terms the Prime Minister. The fact that the then French government was made up of a collection of Ultra-Royalist and counter-revolutionaries who were hostile to Bonapartism and republicanism, bears testament to the high regard in which Lefévre was held.
As one would expect with such pedigree, this pistol is magnificent.
The swamped, sighted, .60 calibre, octagonal barrel has micro groove rifling and is deeply chiselled with interlaced vines and ‘LA PAGE A PARIS’ on the top flat. The gilded barrel tang has similar decoration.
The lock and all its components are chiselled or engraved with differing amounts of foliate designs. This includes the frizzen, frizzen spring, top jaw and its screw and the underside of the flash pan. See photos. The centre of the lock-plate is engraved ‘Le Page / A Paris’.
The action is in excellent working order and has probably never been fired.
In keeping with the overall excellent workmanship of this pistol the trigger guard with its long final, the nose cap and the butt cap are elaborately detailed with gilding on all. The butt cap also has the gilt monogram of ‘FJL’ for Francois Joseph Lefévre. The rim of the butt is also engraved ‘Francois Joseph Lefebvre 1817 Marechal de L’Empire’.
The full-length walnut stock is in excellent condition with only some very minor handling marks. The horn tipped rammer is original to the pistol. Note, there is a small crack on one side of the rammer tip. See photos.
This a very rare opportunity to acquire a pistol that is as astounding as its providence.
Sold as collector item only.
Because of the value of this item special shipping arrangement will have to be made.