Klingenthal was a major French government arsenal which was run by the
Coulaux brothers who oversaw the business. The letter stamps indicate the name of the inspectors and directors at the time and are useful for dating to within a narrow range.
Under the 1810 and 1823 government contracts Coulaux were only permitted to add their name to weapons produced for the commercial market.
After 1836 production for government contracts was wholly moved to Chatellerault while Klingenthal continued to produce tools and weapons for private purchase and it remained in the ownership of the Coulaux family until 1962 when it finally closed.
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