A gun of that era of manufacture would not typically have the hidden post for the cap. That was a feature employed on later guns. The screwed on cap with the gold inlay like the left example in craigs photo would be more typical for an 1898 gun. But based on the physical evidence, I have no doubt that the standard cap on the right gun is original.
I bet it has a gold inlay in the stock of course.
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B. Dudley
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