Got it!
This paperweight was made by Tom Persson, a member of Sam Herman’s first class at the Jam Factory in Adelaide in the mid-1970s. He stayed there as workshop manager and technician across several workshops, and was acting Creative Director of the glass studio in 1984-85 after Stan Melis stood down and before Peter Tysoe arrived from Britain. He stayed at the Jam Factory for 35 years until 2011 or so when he appears to have retired.
I showed a photo of several members of that class including Tom Persson in an earlier message
here.
Even if the signature on the paperweight is hard to decipher, the evidence chain is strong. The Craft Australia national historical collection includes a set of four goblets by Tom Persson from 1985
here. This link shows he made goblets around this time.
The goblets from 1983 in the images below, with their swirly silver chloride trails, are influenced by earlier times (and perhaps by Sam Herman). The signatures on them are clearly at one with the paperweight in question. They also show the numbering of the individual items, as seen on the paperweight.
Ross (ahremck): You sent me photos of a paperweight of the same design as mine, which you had then recently acquired. The signature on that matches, too. I trust this information clears up another puzzle for you.
Trevor