S Stamp on British Swords

adrian · 6th February 2021, 09:15 PM

The brits set up an inspection team there and these blades were stamped with an S for Solingen as opposed to E for Enfield or B for Birmingham.

I suspect that if viewers were sent to Solingen to inspect swords for the Board of Ordnance they would be have been given a stamp that included a crown & inspectors identification number, as well as a location letter, which was standard practice. For example, when Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifles were contracted from M. Escoffier of St.Etienne in France, a team of three viewers with a supervisor were sent by the Ordnance department to view the rifles and they had stamps with Crown over F over 1, 2 or 3.

I don't know what an 'S' on its own on these swords represents, but it is not, I feel sure, the Ordnance's inspection stamp for Solingen.

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6th February 2021, 09:15 PM	#4
adrian Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 130	The brits set up an inspection team there and these blades were stamped with an S for Solingen as opposed to E for Enfield or B for Birmingham. I suspect that if viewers were sent to Solingen to inspect swords for the Board of Ordnance they would be have been given a stamp that included a crown & inspectors identification number, as well as a location letter, which was standard practice. For example, when Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifles were contracted from M. Escoffier of St.Etienne in France, a team of three viewers with a supervisor were sent by the Ordnance department to view the rifles and they had stamps with Crown over F over 1, 2 or 3. I don't know what an 'S' on its own on these swords represents, but it is not, I feel sure, the Ordnance's inspection stamp for Solingen.