I thinks exotic stuff would have been very much in demand and to the liking of the people of the time. Taken the fact that they also used turtle shells for cunpouder flasks and ivory for making loods of other things... Exotic woods for furniture and stuff. I would say using exotic animal skins would be in the line of these things... Never the less other than the pouderflask I would not have direct evidence...
This shop also has an MIquelet lock in their collection, only the pictures are to small to get a real idea of what they look like ...
And sinds it's new I quess there's no one jet that has seen any of these from up close...
And 99 British Pounts is not something you just take a change with..