Thanks so much guys for the great responses! I'm really glad you brought this up Richard, as I really needed to get my material on EIC markings organized.
All my focus had been on the balemarks, and as they were used on the locks of guns primarily. As I noted, I hadn't recalled seeing this type of marking with the triangles.
I found a group of notes from research back in '97 including some communication with David Harding, who had just completed publishing :Small Arms of the East India Company", and there were groupings of markings mostly of the quartered heart and later rampant lion.
The 1827 naval officers sword with the lion above the fouled anchor was indeed characteristic, and I have seen them on army swords as well, but as part of the hilt motif, not as markings on the blade.
Gene, thank you for sharing the pictures of the tulwar and observations, which well corroborate the triangle marking Richard posted on these swords.
I finally found the information in these notes, after the Mutiny it is known that the British government took over in India. In 1862 I believe, when the transition was in place, Queen Victoria was declared Empress of India, and cyphers on blades and other materials were with the ligature VRI.
Information on much of this is found in material on the coins of India.
Apparantly materials were stamped , instead of the EIC balemarks, with EIG (East India Government) marks which were in this same three point configuration, but with a broad arrow where the triangle is seen here.
This continued through WWI and certainly later, though I am unclear on why the triangle here would be in place of the arrow (which was of course the long standing mark of British ordnance all the way back to Henry VIII).
As with most government processing, there were of course viewing and acceptance marks placed at various locations, and these stamps applied with varying effect were most likely the result of careless processing or damaged stamps.
With this being the case, it would seem that these tulwars were likely among stores for native regiments, who of course often preferred carrying their traditional tulwars. Many were produced by contractors in India, or in some cases by contractors in England. I have seen tulwars produced by Mole, who subcontracted for Wilkinson, and in other instances, some regiments preferred British regulation military patterns.
I'm sorry for the inadvertant red herring about commercial markings, and this information on the EIG rather than EIC is I hope helpful.
All the best,
Jim
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