Hello Marcus,
The short length on this piece makes it a swagger stick. These were very popular among officers, especially naval, throughout the 19th century. As you mentioned, English would be my bet, but there were American examples as well. Silver heads were common, as were ivory or whale bone. They were a sign of a gentleman, but could certainly be used to discourage the numerous riffraff from robbing sailors on their way to the taverns. Some were made in India for the tourist trade, but yours shows honest age. I just saw one not too long ago made from the vertebrae of a shark. Pretty cool!
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