Thank you Teodor for showing this example of the mark, which appears in proximity with what appears one of the Afghan arsenal marks. This one appears to emphasize the dentated or toothed characteristic of the original Genoan type markings. These usually were adjacent, opposed half circles, toothed and with three dots at each terminus of the half circle line.
With Genoan trade, these blade markings, which may have been guild markings rather than individual makers marks, but in any case signifying quality, found application on blades in other centers such as Styria, and finally Solingen. It is unclear why the mark seems to have appeared more consistantly on Afghan paluoar blades than other familiar European marks, but this was the case, and the influence seems to have reached other Indian trade, as possibly in this case with the Marathas.
All best regards,
Jim
|