A Change In Perspective...

Rather than respond to my existing thread on my CHICAGOPEX acquisitions and force everyone to redownload all those images, I decided to pull this item into a thread of its own for further discussion.

I've had a slight change in perspective on the stamp below. I initially thought it was possibly the initials of the signatories to the document the stamp originally was on, but instead of reading it left to right, try reading it top to bottom. What you potentially end up with is:

R-R-R
WELSH
R-R-R

or:

RIRIR
WELSH
RIRIR

I think it more likely the former given the difference in stroke length between the ones at top and bottom (if they were letters, they would likely be the same height, as that is how we write).

Still no clue as to what it might signify...

I'll vote for WELSH & R-I-R, if that helps.

I vote that George has a hole in his head. :-)

Based on the letter sizes, etc., my thought is that WELSH was written first, followed by the other letters. I am not sure if those as actually "I"s, or if they are just lines to separate the "R"s. The "R"s could indicate Revenue, but why?

Anyway, neat item. Thanks for posting.

I'm guessing R Welsh, with the additional 'R's for decoration. Hole possibly from George's axe-ident.

Maybe RWR is company intials and Welsh "signed" it

There was a Welsh Mfg. Co. in RI but I do not know if they were around back in the mid 1800s.
Don

Maybe Whelsh is the persons name and the I. R is for internal revenue as repetition.

edit: why they would start it with "R" is the mystery with my idea.

I'm afraid the mystery is destined to go unsolved unless by some chance someone sees this who happens to have an astounding bit of special knowledge. I've messed around with Google, but, as you have probably seen yourself, "Welsh" brings up everything under the sun in Wales and almost nothing in the 19th century U.S.

R W R
| E |
R L R
| S |
R H R


That's my vote: WELSH in a frame of Rs, with vertical separator strokes.

Did Welsh in RI make railroad (RR) equipment?

I don't think Welsh Manufacturing was around in the 1860s. Its founder was still kicking in 1931:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/27248969504...RK:MEBIDX:IT

This is a link to ebay sale with an R.I. Welsh Canx. Maybe this is the same company.

Edit.. After a second look, it appears to be different. The pic is poor as is my eyesight.