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Hi Malc. I believe that this style dates to the early 1900s (and possibly late 1800s, but there is no hard evidence for this earlier date). If the surface damage spoils its visual appeal, then personally, I would have it polished.
I know that there are purists who dislike that approach, but given that the shapes and sizes (and quality) of the pieces varied so much as they came out of the factory, I don't understand why it matters. Old paintings get restored by removal of discoloured varnish, and repair of damaged areas - I don't see any real distinction between that and restoring a paperweight by polishing off scratches. I do feel though that some of the bizarre shapes you see where pieces are heavily facetted to remove bruising are a mistake. There is a smashed Richardson bottle coming up at auction later this week, in the guise of a flat top paperweight with a square foot! But someone may buy it....
Alan
Alan