Hi Anandalal,
Thank you responding, and actually these are the only images I have from BBJWs earlier post, I am hoping if he is still out there somewhere he'll see this.
Very good suggestion on the lettering....if I recall we had thought perhaps the letters might have been Friedrich (?) Holler of Solingen, but could not find evidence that that firm had ever used the boat theme.
At that point we moved toward the merchant mark idea, as these markings in earlier times had often used religious/talismanic ideographs that used the numeral four atop a symbolic, or sometimes a cross, cf. the cross and orb, and these with initials of individual or firm for the merchant. These were in a way the forerunners of trademarks.
I am hoping that in the literal sea of readers out there, somebody might recognize this boat marking!
In the meantime, good observations on the lettering!!! and thank you again.
All the very best,
JIm