D E or D L (Old English ) on caster c1749

[spobby]

On the base of a caster- London 1739.
Main question DE or JG?
If JG, would this be part of the lost registers?
I have had good suggestions as to the possibilties for 'JG', the main one being, Grimwade #1348, John Gamon, largeworker, entered 15.6.1739 but no pellet.
Grateful for any help
Regards
John

[dognose]

Hi John,

I guess to get a more positive answer it would be worthwhile trawling the internet to establish exactly which font the punchmaker was attempting to reproduce. A laborious job perhaps, but it will at least give you the satisfaction of knowing a correct attribution of the initials.

I wouldn't dismiss 'D.L'.

Regards Trev.

[buckler]

The "d" is 1739/40 ,but from it being in the second form and the use the "cottage loaf " Lion Passant Guardant, it's late in that period. The makers mark should therefore be one that had been submitted in accordance with the Plate (Offences) Act of 1738, which required all workers to register new marks, different to their previous ones. If this guy regarded himself as a smallworker, as seems likely, then this is almost certainly in the lost smallworkers register of 1739 - 1758.

Might even be a widow's mark, she almost certainly illiterate, and the engraver likewise !

I've seen some really weird gothic letters in this period , but this one is certainly in the top twenty !

Good hunting