I picked up this machine etched comport recently, Height 6in, Width 7in
Density 2.89g/cc which is decent lead content and rules out the northeast of England for what I think is a late Victorian piece.
I suspect it is not from the northwest either as the glass is very thin.
The chief oddity about this one is that there is a pattern number 16 stamped on the top plate belly button.
As you can see it's in a little circle of its own. This is not proud to the surface, you can't feel either the number or the ring around it.
Not sure how that would have been added.
I'm guessing with these features it might be closer to 1900 than 1880.
Has anyone ever seen a machine etched set with a number, or an idea how it was applied?
Are any manufacturers known to number their pieces like this?