British, c.1908–1909, 12-Bore Double Barrel Shotgun by Cogswell & Harrison “Avant Tout”, Arcus Steel Barrels, Cased, Named to P.E. Goldsmith RN, Obsolete Calibre

*British, c.1908–1909, 12-Bore Double Barrel Shotgun by Cogswell & Harrison “Avant Tout”, Arcus Steel Barrels, Cased, Named to P.E. Goldsmith RN, Obsolete Calibre*

A superb Edwardian side-by-side 12-bore double-barrel sporting shotgun by the prestigious London gunmaker Cogswell & Harrison Ltd., presented in its original fitted leather case and named to a Royal Navy officer.

The gun forms part of the firm’s celebrated “Avant Tout” series of assisted-opening boxlock ejector guns, a design patented by Edgar Harrison in 1888 and widely regarded as one of the company’s most successful and durable sporting mechanisms. The action is finely engraved and marked “Cogswell & Harrison Ltd.” on both lock plates. The shotgun retains its original walnut stock with chequered grip panels and classic straight English sporting lines. The trigger plate is stamped 40602, matching the serial number found on the barrels and action.

The barrels are constructed from compressed “Arcus” steel, a proprietary Cogswell & Harrison barrel steel noted for its strength and reliability compared with earlier Damascus construction. The rib is engraved: “Cogswell & Harrison Ltd. ‘The Avant Tout’ 141 New Bond St. & 226 Strand London.”

The underside of the barrels shows clear London proof marks including:
- Crown over V – London Proof House view mark
- Nitro Proof
- 1 1/8 – standard shot load in ounces
- Diamond containing 12 / C – 12-bore chamber designation
- CHOKE – choke-bored barrels

The gun is accompanied by its original fitted leather case, lined in red baize and retaining the original Cogswell & Harrison trade label. The case exterior is stencilled: “P.E. Goldsmith R.N.” indicating ownership by a Royal Navy officer. The case contains various period accessories including cleaning rods and maintenance tools.

This example displays the quality, balance and craftsmanship expected from one of London’s most respected gunmakers during the Edwardian golden age of British sporting arms.

Approx. Measurements – Barrel length: 76 cm. Overall length: 117 cm.

Historical Note:
Founded in 1770, Cogswell & Harrison Ltd. is recognised as London’s oldest surviving gunmaker. By the late Victorian and Edwardian period the firm had become one of Britain’s most prominent sporting gun manufacturers, supplying firearms to aristocratic sportsmen, military officers and international clients. The Avant Tout design was patented in 1888 by Edgar Harrison. Its name, meaning “Before All” in French, reflected the firm’s ambition to produce a superior sporting gun. The mechanism utilised a refined boxlock ejector with assisted opening, providing smooth operation and reliability in the field.

The shotgun bears serial number 40602, which places it within the early twentieth-century production of Cogswell & Harrison Ltd.. Surviving serial number comparisons and documented examples indicate that guns in this range were produced circa 1908–1909, during the Edwardian period. This dating is further supported by the London proof marks present on the barrels, including “Nitro Proof” and the 1⅛ oz load designation, which correspond to the 1904–1925 Rules of Proof used at the London Proof House. The rib inscription giving the firm’s London addresses at 141 New Bond Street and 226 Strand also reflects the company’s early twentieth-century trading style. Taken together, these features place manufacture confidently in the late Edwardian era, shortly before the First World War.

The leather case is stencilled “P.E. Goldsmith, R.N.”, indicating that the shotgun was the personal property of a Royal Navy officer. Archival research strongly suggests the owner was Philip Edward Goldsmith of the Royal Navy Paymaster branch. It should be noted that naval records of the period record this officer under several variations of his name, including Philip E. Goldsmith, Edward Philip Goldsmith, and occasionally Ed. P. Goldsmith. Such variations were common in contemporary naval documentation. These entries are believed to refer to the same individual because they show a consistent career progression within the Royal Navy Paymaster branch, with the ranks and dates aligning closely across the various records.

Goldsmith first appears in naval records as a Clerk in the Paymaster branch, serving aboard the battleship HMS New Zealand, as recorded in the Royal Navy List, 1908. Shortly afterwards he was promoted to Assistant Paymaster on 15 July 1908, as published in The London Gazette, 21 August 1908. The estimated manufacture date of this Cogswell & Harrison shotgun (serial number 40602, circa 1908–1909) closely coincides with this promotion, suggesting it may have been acquired early in his commissioned career. At the time HMS New Zealand served with the Channel Fleet, one of the Royal Navy’s principal battle formations responsible for guarding Britain’s home waters in the years immediately preceding the First World War.

By 1910, the Royal Navy List records Assistant Paymaster Philip E. Goldsmith serving aboard the armoured cruiser HMS Cornwall, with seniority recorded from 11 January 1910. Vessels of the Monmouth class were widely employed across the British Empire on patrol, trade protection duties, and overseas station service during this period.

At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the Royal Navy List (August 1914) records Assistant Paymaster Philip E. Goldsmith serving aboard the dreadnought battleship HMS Monarch, then attached to the Second Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet. This formation constituted a principal component of Britain’s main battle fleet in the North Sea, tasked with maintaining naval supremacy and containing the German High Seas Fleet during the opening stages of the war.

Later wartime records identify an officer recorded as Edward Philip Goldsmith, who had advanced to the rank of Paymaster Lieutenant Commander and appears in Admiralty medal rolls for the First World War (Naval War Medal Roll 1914–1920), receiving the 1914–15 Star, British War Medal, and Victory Medal. These records associate him with service in the Royal Navy during the war, including service connected with the cruiser HMS Hawkins. Officers of the Paymaster branch held commissioned rank and were responsible for the financial administration, stores, and victualling arrangements aboard Royal Navy vessels, forming an essential part of a ship’s administrative and logistical command.

Taken together, the matching initials on the case, the consistent paymaster career progression recorded in official naval publications, and the close chronological alignment with the gun’s manufacture strongly suggest that this shotgun was originally owned by Philip Edward (or Edward Philip) Goldsmith, Royal Navy, likely purchased early in his naval career and remained part of his personal kit.

*Condition*
The shotgun remains in very good original condition for its age. The metalwork retains clear markings and engraving with light patina consistent with age. The barrels remain clearly marked with Arcus steel designation and full London proof marks. The walnut stock shows minor handling marks consistent with honest sporting use but remains structurally sound with well-defined chequering. The original leather case survives complete with red baize lining and maker’s label. The exterior retains the stencilled owner’s name “P.E. Goldsmith R.N.”. One exterior strap is broken and the leather shows expected age wear. The case retains several period accessories including cleaning rods and maintenance tools. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.

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