Jeffries Inscriptions

[varney]

I spotted these old ink inscriptions on the endpapers of an early Jeffries. I suspect they may be repair or service notes but wanted to let better eyes than mine see what they can make of them. All I can see is the word (or name?) 'Case' and various dates.

[Mikefule]

Whatever it was cost £4 and 15 shillings, I think.

[Chris Ghent]

Pawn shop notes..?

[Geoff Wooff]

I like the date which looks to be 3rd December 1906.

[AndrewCollins]

Is it "Leather" case ? And could the left hand bit of the other pic be a stave with C & G marked ?

[varney]

All really helpful folks...thanks.

 

I too thought the 3/12/6 was a date but wondered why not '06'. I noticed on the other panel '4/15/-' which to my mind would be old currency pounds, shillings and pence.

 

Maybe these are pawnbrokers markings noting amounts the concertina was bought or pawned for? The scratching out might signify it being redeemed?

 

'Leather Case' does seem to fit and would make sense to be noted in the above situation. Not sure what the other letters might be except perhaps owners initials?

[Stephen Chambers]

Yep, I'd reckon pawnbrokers' marks, which always seem to include two slashes, and often a dash or two. I've seen the likes of them many times on old concertinas, often scratched into the veneer on the sides, or even into the brass of the (strap) topscrews. And then there are the tales that some pawnbrokers only took in Jeffries concertinas, because they were guaranteed to sell if unredeemed - which would help explain numerous fake "C. Jeffries, Maker" stampings that I've seen over the years, including those on a Wheatstone 'Linota' that was sold at Sotheby's!

 

You never know, it could even have been great-grandpa Copland who wrote that on the papers, he was a "pawnbroker's manager" in Peterborough around that time...