A stunning private collection of firearms and weapons bought from the prestigious British auction house Sotheby’s will soon be going under the hammer locally.

More than 80 pieces of weapons – some dating back to the 18th century – are up for sale. They were bought by a Maltese collector from Sotheby’s in April 1985, according to Pierre Grech Pillow, of Obelisk Auctions.

The pieces include a Swedish cane gun dating back to 1850 disguised as a leather walking stick. The rare piece, which is in an excellent condition, has a starting price of €1,000.

The item with the highest starting price is an English double barrelled Payton percussion shotgun, dated 1850. Formerly the property of a prominent Maltese family, it has engraved swan head hammers and an engraved trigger guard.

Mr Grech Pillow believes the collection is now worth between €150,000 and €200,000.

Another unique item up for sale is a two-blade wooden propeller from an original Vickers Armstrong Walrus II aircraft, used by the Royal Air Force during the early 20th century.

Meanwhile, in a separate auction, Mr Grech Pillow will also be selling two beautiful Latin manuscripts, written in gold leaf, relating the proof of nobility of two members of the Testaferrata family. Originally from Messina, Sicily, the documents show their reinstatement into nobility after it was lost. They have a starting price of €5,000.

He was also excited about a bozzetto, or sketch, of a portrait of former prime minister Sir Ugo Mifsud by Anton Inglott.

“This is the original bozzetto of the painting hanging at Auberge de Castille and which came from the Inglott family,” Mr Grech Pillow said. The price starts at €14,000.

The viewing for both auctions, which has just started at Obelisk Auctions Gallery, Mdina Road, Attard, runs until October 27.

The antiques and fine arts auction will start on Wednesday and ends on Saturday.

For more information visit www.obeliskauctions.com.