Thank you for the comments. Here are some better pictures. I'm still working on the rust. The 4 stamp is only partially visible. On the reverse the date is in the same orientation as the wolf, the 4 is missing and the 8 poorly struck with the partial number offset significantly to the right. There is a pit in the general area of the 4 which could have been the location of a partial numeral. I do not know what to look for regarding evidence of modification of the tip. The distal taper narrows evenly, 2.3mm where the fuller ends and 1mm at tip. If modified, I don't think it was significantly shortened. The blade has nice flex and, though corroded, has better grain and is far more homogenous than a Timor group VOC example I have pictured at bottom. The date stamp is similar in year and style as the VOC example.
There is much discussion on the running wolf stamp, but this appears to be the first SE Asian example on the forum. From the discussion I've skimmed, the Passau wolf chop was mostly discontinued in 17C, however this blade is dated 18C. The mark most resembles the 16C example third up on right of the diagram Jim provided but I don't think we can read too deeply into the subtle distinctions of these later chop marks as dating clues. Could the blade be significantly older than the date stamp?
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31st October 2024, 07:27 AM
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