Discovered on a frosty winter morning in Betchworth, Surrey, this fragment comes from a cast lead alloy toy pistol, often called a petronel or miniature firearm. It dates to the later 18th or 19th century and preserves the handle, lock plate, flash pan and a short length of barrel. The lock plate and handle are triangular in form and were cast in several parts, held together with copper alloy rivets and lead axis pins. Remarkably, fragments of the trigger and hammer mechanism survive inside, suggesting that it once had moving parts.
The flash pan features a central touch hole, although it appears blind and non-functional, while the barrel, just 10 mm in diameter, is mostly missing. Despite being intended as a toy, the design mimics real firearms closely and may have been capable of producing a small flash or bang using a cap or tiny powder charge.
No wonder the infant mortality rate was so high! These so-called toys gave children a taste of military life but were hardly safe playthings by modern standards. Finds like this offer a fascinating glimpse into past attitudes toward childhood, play and the ever-present influence of war on daily life.