G'day Jim,
I think Wilkinson began using the proof disc from around 1845 when his "new" blade design was introduced. This period isn't my main area of focus, so someone more knowledgeable may be able to confirm this. Certainly they were used well before 1854. 1854 was when Wilkinson began numbering his swords. Here is the proof disc on Puxley's sword. The Wilkinson example above is pre numbering.
Cheers,
Bryce
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