London hallmarks backwards?

[muraille]

Are London hallmarks ever backwards? The sequence looks like Dublin but the flash pic seems to show a leopard's head. Can anyone also help with the date? I would pick 1914. Thanks.
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[Granmaa]

Yes, you do sometimes get the marks in this order. The date looks more like the 1912 r to me.

Miles
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[StewartMcI]

I am seeing clear Gothic "tails" on that letter, in one of the pix, so I would vote for 1921.

Do we think the maker is Alfred Clark or Alexander Crichton ???

Stewart
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[MCB]

As Stewart says the date letter looks like the lower case gothic "f" used by London Assay Office for 1920-1.
That being so and Crichton describing himself as a designer, late silversmith, in a petition of 1899 for discharge from bankruptcy (John Culme's book on London smiths) a 1920's item is unlikely to be his.
Clark was active until sometime after 1916 when, on an unknown date, the business was converted to a limited company. Whether his mark continued in use to 1920-1 is therefore uncertain although he was known to manufacture fitted cases and this bottle might have been part of such fittings.
Crichton's and Clark's registered marks all had a double overlapping circle shape. Culme's book doesn't show one quite like the one here but that might have something to do with the wear or photographic distortion.

Mike
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