Very old ? ball-head walking stick

[kronckew]

not exactly 'ethnographic' unless you consider it's possible generic european or eastern ethnicity.

i have agentleman's cane/walking stick with a spherical ball end and a wooden haft of unknown wood. it was billed as bamboo but there are no joints and it appears solid, no teardrop shape like rattan/malacca. it appears varnished and the haft has a fair number of minor dents and spots over it. the ball and part of the upper haft is covered in silver, which is worn thru from use in a number of spots exposing the wood ball interior underneath. there is no hallmarks on the silver. the silver also has a fair number of very minor dings and dents. there is a burned in number 1759 near the top. there is a brass ferrule at the ground end end. all in all it looks very much like a knobkerry with a smallish ball head.

it is 87cm long, haft is 2.5cm in dia tapering slightly to the end ferrule, the ball is just under 4.5cm in dia., and it weighs 340 gm.

now the questions. thanks in advance for any info, kibbitzing, speculations, and learned wisdom from the experts in all things wooden and metal we have on tap here, etc.

any idea on what kind of wood may have been used?
when did the hallmarking system start?
could it be eastern silver, unhallmarked?
where could it originate from?

and the key question - is 1759 the date if manufacture? does the font look realistic for the period? it's in good shape for being that old.

p.s. -it's my go to cane for those early morning dog walks when my knees are a bit pained, and i need something to keep me from falling over picking up after the dog. also would be handy for those things that go bump in the night on evening walks.