After a ton of Electrolysis baths cleaning and repeat..Identify this

[Beeps in my sleep]

After quite a few long electrolysis baths, careful cleaning, having a friend help that specializes in cleaning up old things, I need to find out what these markings are. I can't find any info on Google. ( Note: One Electrolysis Machine died in the cleaning of this...moment of silence)

 

[cti4sw]

I also believe that it is a Crown on a Staff and not a hit such as damage! See edited and cropped pics below.


Frank

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Based on the comments up to this point, and given my limited knowledge, this is my logical assumption:

1. The crown-on-a-staff is DIRECTLY below the countersunk screw hole. That, to me, says it predates the lettered inscription. You can see that the stamping of the "0" where it crosses the crown is pressed through the edge of the crown toward the concave crown relief. If the crown came after, that edge would splay into the relief of the 0.

2. Tejaas' opinion about the design being an earlier variety corroborates with my #1.

3. The similarity of that scripted E to the master armorer's mark and its symmetry with the screwhole and edge and the linearity of it to the screwhole and crown indicate to me that it was reused. Maybe some vintage captured rifles were stripped of usable parts in Springfield and this made it into the assembly line, so to speak.

Now, for some linguistic analysis:

4. That's definitely a "10". The marking above and below the crown (the "staff") accompany the crown.

5. I'm not convinced that is a J or an I, honestly. The style of the mark do not follow the other letters. If it were a J, in that font, I think the top would be capped and parallel with the top of the R. I know the letters below it are not perfectly aligned but they are the same size. The bottom of this "J"-like letter dipping below the invisible underline is normal, but look closely at the top of the mark. What is that little thin line? Also not convinced it's a J because of the knob on the leg. Those are more typical of numbers than letters, I think. However, if it IS a letter, I think a "J" is more likely purely due to the knob on the leg.

6. That second L, the L[sup]L[/sup], is an overstrike. There was another letter beneath it, between the L_B. The B is double-stamped too. Note the thicker shafts in the letter. The mystery middle letter and the B could have initially been weaker stamps that were redone for clarity. I think the L[sup]L[/sup]B are initials, personally, and were done at the same time as the "10 [sub]J[/sub]R".

 

[huntsman53]

cti4sw,

Great observation and post! While I felt that something was off with the "0" (zero) being stamped within the boundary of the Crown, it never dawned on me that it was a later stamping from the Crown with Staff! I think that you are really hit on to something here and so much so that I went back and blew up the edited pic that I posted. I am now of the belief that the Crown with Staff, the letter in between the "L" and "B" (which I believe is a tilted small capitol "J") and the letter "E" below were all stamped at the same time as they line up vertically and appear to be generally the same size. Also, I am certain that you are correct, in that the "10", "JR" and LLB were overstamped at a later date. Therefore, the Crown with Staff is more than likely the Maker's mark and the small capitol "J" and the "E" are probably the Inspector's marks.


Frank