Lefaucheux Folding Trigger Revolver

A very interesting antique Lefaucheux folding trigger revolver in excellent mechanical condition having high level engraving and woodwork. The bore is clean with very deep rifling and measure .36 inches in the cylinder bore and barrel. The action and lockup are tight. The finish appears silver over copper and shows slight fading. This is a classic pinfire revolver of indeterminate caliber superior quality engravings. There are what appears to be the initials PF under the barrel; we also see on the barrel a PF crowned in a circle: we know a PF crowned in an oval, which is a trademark registered by Pirlot Frésart, rue St-Gilles 95 in Liège on 13/06/1888. But there is no trace of a crowned PF in a circle that would be a trademark of Pirlot Frères, registered in the proof house of Liège from 1836 to 1879. It was likely renewed at the time of the partnership between Gustave Pirlot and Edouard Frésart in 1888. In any case, it seems unlikely that this revolver was after 1888 (in principle even 1877, see below). The brand E. Lefaucheux Inv. Bvté means that royalties have been paid for the use of the Lefaucheux system. A crowned EL theoretically means that Eugène Lefaucheux's factory in Liège contributed to the manufacture of this weapon, possibly the cylinder only. There is also a crowned G, the countermark of a controller of the Liège proof house, applied between 1853 and 1877. And the classic ELG star in oval, for acceptance between 1846 and 1893. It measures 11.5 inches long.