Originally Posted by
tacfoley
'Tower' was not a proof-house, but an assembly point where all the many components came together. It was, after all, THE armoury for London.
Hi. Tac
The facility for the “Private Proof” of gun barrels at the Tower was available until about 1810, so the crossed sceptre & crown mark can be found on civilian firearms made until this date.
Tower Private Proof marks – the crossed sceptres and crown stamped twice was used from c1740 until c1810.
My India Pattern Musket was made in 1799 as it was purchased from Robert Wheeler who made it as a private purchase musket it bears the crossed sceptre & crown mark proof marks stamped twice.
From about 1751 the Ordnance proof house, which was situated on Tower Wharf close to the Tower of London, started proving privately made civilian firearms.
To differentiate between the Ordnance and civilian markings, the mark chosen for civilian or “Private Proof” was the crossed sceptres & crown, struck twice, one mark above the other - but without the Royal Cypher mark.
This service had the added attraction of being available, at no extra cost, to “foreigners”, i.e., those gunmakers who did not work in London and were not bound by the membership rules of the London Gunmakers Company. As a consequence, the London Gunmakers Company lost revenue and eventually had to adjust its prices for proving arms.
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