A little later in the morning and with noticeably more good daylight I can find the remnants of AS, I believe. Definitely an A and more likely an S than a B.
And if I understand those early proof marks, the likely alternative to a V is a W. Which has some visual similarity. However, it sure looks like it would be a V based on the even fainter remnant of the crown. The line I can see appears to be where it should be if the V was centred under the crown.
Just thinking aloud here. If it is the provisional mark of Crown over V, then we get a pretty accurate window for date of production. Which gives clues as to dating other serial numbers that are before or after this one.
Last edited by canvasback; 03/19/25 10:02 AM.
