Help deciphering date letter on Charles Horner pin

[volpone]

I've gone just about cross-eyed trying to figure out the Chester date letter on this little brooch. It's very similar in manufacturing style to other Horner pins from 1909 and 1910 per Tom Lawson's book, but I also found one dating to 1919. Help?

[MCB]

Hello Volpone,
After quite a few views without a reply you've probably realised that identification of this date letter is causing a lot of squinting and head scratching. In the hope that we might move the question forward here are my observations:-
The shape of the lion passant seems to fit the series 1901-26.
That series had date letters which were script and none readily fits the one on the brooch.
The nearest I could come to was the "G" for 1907-8 but checking 3 pieces with that date letter from my collection none match the one here.
The Charles Horner mark seems to have no pellet between the initials. Ridgway & Priestley's Chester compendium shows this mark registered as late as 1946. It may have been used without registration but this confuses matters further.
The sterling mark and the town mark are relatively clear making distortion of the date letter at the Assay Office less likely.
Not much help in final identification I'm afraid but perhaps someone can pick up from here.
Best Wishes,
Mike

[larkfield]

For what its worth, each time I look I see more the 1909 I, punched 180o to the town and sterling mark

[dognose]

Charles Horner - Halifax - 1899

Trev.