Quote:
The shape of a crown indicated a rank in European nobility. This crown indicates the rank of a quite common Freiherr or Baron, the second lowest rank of nobility, called Gentry in England.
It would have been an insult to engrave such a humble, inappropiate crown on a gun ordered by any member of a royal, dukal or even countly family.
"Hofbüchsenmacher" was a title given to many upgrade gunshops. It means nothing more than the British phrase "By Appointment to His Majesty the King", good for advertisement only. Nagel & Menz had gunshops in Baden – Baden and Strasbourg. While Baden was THE spa of the international aristocracy, Strasbourg in Alsace – Lorraine was part of the "Reichsland Elsass – Lothringen" from 1871 to 1918, a territry subject directly to Kaiser Wilhem I.
Hi Kuduae, not to go off topic, but you refer to Friherr being the second lowest rank of nobility. What was the lowest? I thought Freiherr was the lowest? Thanks.
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