Need help with an old Parker

[OH Osthaus]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

No, those numbers were hand stamped with a separate die for each digit. Notice that the 4 at the right is done with a different die than the 4 next to it..... this is something I don't understand and can't even speculate on.

each machinist has his own set of tools, and they are very often not company supplied. so- if two different craftsman were involved - different stamps would be used. And even for one man - he may have mixed stamps- I have some of my grandfathers stamps- they don't all match and there is more than one of some digits. I assume as they wore out or were lost other sets or individual stamps were added. I think we have seen that odd 4 with the light strike on the upper left on other guns

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Rick Losey

I think we have seen that odd 4 with the light strike on the upper left on other guns

Yes Rick, we have seen that stamp on dozens of other Parkers.

[edgarspencer]

Here's another case of a stamp from another set being used by the same gunsmith.
The first picture is the engraved trigger guard. Then the stamped water table, fore end iron, barrel, and dolls head.
Note also that the whole number is stamped on the dolls head.