Henry Deringer Philadelphia

Made from 1852 to 1868 by Henry Deringer, the famous American gunsmith and gun maker who is best known for inventing the Derringer pistol. He was the son of Henry Deringer, Sr., a colonial gunsmith who made Kentucky rifles. In 1806 he settled in Philadelphia and began his own arms-manufacturing plant. Approximately 15,000 Deringer pistols were manufactured from 1852 to 1868 in a range of calibers including .41, .44 and .45. Henry Deringer worked from his shop in Philadelphia which is why his pistol was named Philadelphia. The trigger guard, escutcheons, accent, reverse, and inscription shield are silver, with a German silver tip, ramrod head, and buttplate with floral engraved patch box door. Very small and light pistol for its' time so it was very popular as concealed gun for self defense but also with criminals and poker players. John Wilkes Booth used a .44-caliber Philadelphia Derringer to shoot Abraham Lincoln in the head while the president was watching a play with his wife at Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C.