E. R. SIEBER
#286 Sieber of Nashville, Tennessee is virtually unknown among my gun collector friends and dealers until this gun turned up in Norman Flayderman’s catalog in 1970. It is definitely Nashville made with the characteristics of those guns in the full octagon barrel, the escutcheon plate under the forearm holding the screw to attach the barrel, and the lack of engraving. The buttcap, sideplate, nameplate on the wrist, and escutcheons are of German silver. The trigger guard, believe it or not, is of brass and appears to be original. The barrel is a little different in that the bottom half is rounded with the top half octagon. To say this another way, there are three octagon flats at the top of the barrel with the other part underneath rounded. There is a gold blow-out plug on the breechplug. Two bands at the breech are of gold and silver and one silver band at the muzzle. It is a shame, but someone in the past has sand-papered the barrel which is in extra fine condition. They saw the old brown color and thought they were removing rust when actually the gun had original browning on the barrel and some smart fellow removed all of it. I would call this a high quality but plain derringer. Its caliber is .440.
The only markings are on the top barrel flat as follows:
E. R. Sieber,
Nashville, Tenn.