G'day Guys,
Just a quick update on my latest research on Osborn's G stamp. I have looked at many more blades and it is still true that all Osborn marked officers' swords and virtually all Osborn and Gunby marked officers' swords are stamped G or GG.
There is an interesting sword coming up for auction at Morphy Auctions in America. It is an American silver hilted spadroon with a blade marked to R Bolton and Co with a G stamp. The hilt has the Birmingham silver marks for 1805.
I have never come across a British sword marked to Bolton, so it seems that if Bolton made sword blades, he only did so for the American market which would be odd! A look thru the Birmingham trade directories for this period reveals the following results:
There was an RP Bolton, Gunsmith who pops up from time to time around this period.
There was a JH Bolton, Gun maker and occasional cutler consistently around this period
There was a Richard Bolton and Co, Merchant consistently thru this period.
Based on this and the absence of British marked Bolton swords the most likely explanation is that the R Bolton and Co marked American swords were put together using Osborn sword blades and exported to America by R Bolton and Co the merchants. I am unsure if Bolton and Co used Osborn blades exclusively or sourced them from several makers. If Bolton marked swords without a G stamp exist it means that Bolton and Co sourced blades from several makers.
This particular G stamp looks to be somewhere in Between the earlier Osborn G stamp with serifs and the later Osborn and Gunby G stamp sans serif. I don't know if the change in G stamp was intentional or just came about by the older G stamp tools wearing out around the time of the change from Osborn to Osborn and Gunby.
Cheers,
Bryce
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