The crown with BP under it on the barrels is a Birmingham provisional proof from 1855 onward
The crown with BV under it on the action flat is a Birmingham view mark from 1904 to 1954.
???
You still have not shown the marks on the barrel flats & there will be a diamond with a 12 in it & maybe a C as well. There ought to be definitive proof mark of crossed halberds with a crown above & the letters BCP in the cross & maybe a 13/1 mark or something like that. The crossed halberd, crown BCP is a black powder proof. The Damascus barrels & date, along with overall appearance point to a black powder gun unless it has a crown over NP & a crown over BP stamp on the barrel flats.
Those chambers ought to be 2 1/2" or at least that is what I would expect unless reproofed & that would show as extra chamber length stamping on the barrel flats if it had been. It was commonly done here in Aust. to lengthen the chambers on old guns as the 2 1/2" shells were not commonly available. If that is the case then the gun will be out of proof, if that matters to you at all.
Really need to see those barrel flats before ascertaining any value & the condition of the bores will come into that as well as if the action is tight & on face.
Never seen that Ideal mark before.
O.M
Last edited by moses; 12/27/15 08:05 AM.
