Engraving Question
 

In looking at D grade and above engraving there are standard variations that I've seen, they are seen in the books. However, some seem to have extras. For example 4 pheasants walking instead of the more common 3 on a D grade. This gun also seems to have more scroll work. Are these upgrades that were ordered, different standards from different periods, or was the engraver taking creative liberties? Thanks Jeff.

...a picture is worth a thousand words....

A customer could order a graded gun with "extra" engraving and Parker would do anything the customer wanted as long as it was tasteful and reasonable.
Different periods in engraving along with different chief engravers is usually why we see variations from the 'norm'.

Are you sure it's not a C grade?

I've looked up the s/n in the book, and it matches to a D. I've ordered a letter as well. I'll try to get some pics this afternoon. I've seen other variations in the past that I was curious about, this one just seems to have extra.

PIC
 

As requested:

Yes!

the variations in D grade engraving is a popular topic

here is one thread

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthr...highlight=dogs

If it matches the description in the records, it may be a "Friday afternoon" gun. Many times an engraver, rather than start a new receiver at the end of the last day of a long week, would add small extra adornments in the form of extra coils of scroll or in the case of game scenes a tiny bird or insect. Other times the engraver, hearing or knowing a favorite motif of the person that ordered the gun, would add touches of that motif. There is a very well known high grade (AA or A1S, I forget which) that has a bumble bee engraved on the orbit each breech ball.

The letter when he get's it should explain a lot.