Hi all, �
A collecting acquaintance has recently purchased this brass capper. He has asked my opinion on it. Hopefully the pics are clear enough to show the cover which is marked with a large crown over 'TOWER' & also there is an arrow & '1863'.  
 
I believe it to be a spuriously marked modern repro.  
 
My understanding is that the British never utilised a capping device, I could stand to be corrected on this. Also the Tower & crown are not markings I'd expect on such an implement, nor 1863 expressed as a complete date etc. It appears that perhaps someone with a set of lock plate marking tools has applied the whole set to this.
 
Also I have a modern capper almost identical, the screw heads being slightly different, mine is only marked 'ITALY' though in small letters on the rear, which could be fairly easily removed.
 
However, as my friend has paid a very hansome sum, I thought I'd check here first in case there is a possibility that it is original, before upsetting his day.
 
Bill, I would be grateful for any comment that you may have on this.
 
Thanks for any help, Adrian.  
 
 
 

Forgot to add - TOWER and 1863 are rather like FORD and VECTRA or SMITH AND WESSON and FLINTLOCK.