Animal’s leather article reminded me about something I’ve been wanting to ask the expert Glibs for some time. I am custodian of a family heirloom, a Colt .45 Single Action Army revolver that belonged to my great-grandfather. I also have the original flap holster which has an elaborate embossing that I can’t make out.
I scanned the embossing which looks to me like:
Left side: “I” or “J”.
Middle: “S” intertwined with a “G” or “Q”.
Right side: “C” and little “o”. Perhaps “Co.”?
All over a flattened “8” with a bow on the left side.
My great-grandfather lived in the Chicago, Illinois area so the “I” may stand for “Illinois”.
Does anyone here recognize the embossing?
Comments
157 responses to “Can anyone help solve a puzzle?”
Wow, Impressive!, I got nuthin”
Family lore says that great-grandfather was a Lieutenant the Illinois National Guard and the revolver was his service weapon. I have no proof of that.
When did he serve?
Mid-1880’s.
I have no idea but, damn. What a great heirloom.
I think we need the post read by a voiceover artist while sepia-toned images slide by in the background.
Seriously, I can’t help you either. Except that the intertwining doesn’t look like a G or Q to me, if you’re talking about the thing with the horizontal line shading.
Yeah. The I or J, G or Q (to my eyes) and C and o have horizontal lines. The S doesn’t.
Ken Burns, having an old Women read from a Letter Home….
I would send to Guns & Ammo or the NRA. That’s very unique and elaborate. Somebody knows who’s work that is. Flipped 90 degrees left makes for an interesting emblem as well.
I scanned the embossing with the orientation that it has if the holster was being worn. Rotated 90 degrees makes it look like a Hogwarts emblem.
S for Slytherin!
My guess would be that it’s the cordwainer’s mark. But again…..thats supposition.
Any chance it’s a family crest?
Nope. My great-grandfather went to England specifically to find the family crest. This isn’t it.
Shit.
Can I see the revolver?
I have images of the revolver on the family web site. Ask the Glib Masters for my e-mail address and I’d be delighted to send you (or any of you) the link.
I think I’m on board with your reading of the left and right side. I can see “S” in the middle but I think its likely decorative scrolling since it doesn’t have the horizontal line shading of the other letters. The baffler is the other(?) letter in the middle – it looks like a lower case “q” to me (the tail hooks the wrong way for “g”), but why have a lower-case initial?
That looks suspiciously like Iver Johnson Logo to me but hard to tell, at least that is the first thing that popped in my head. Looking around now for that.
Hmm, maybe not.
I used to have an Iver Johnson Company shotgun and it had a logo a lot like that on the butt plate but I dont have the damned thing anymore to look at.
IJC has changed and updated their logo many times but most of them have an owl’s head included.
It looks awfully familiar but just cant think where I might have seen that.
Thanks Richard. That is going to drive me nuts now.
I live to serve.
Goddammit. I used to have an Iver Johnson shotgun, another family heirloom. It was from my mother’s side of the family and I gave it to a cousin who carries the P&C name. The logo does seem familiar!
I like this. I can see I J Co. Bet that’s it.
Let us know if you find out cause that’s pretty cool. My first exposure to guns as a yute was a neighbor of a great uncle that made custom flintlocks that were extremely ornate and intricately engraved. They were beautiful and functional. I was hooked.
I picked up my newest SA 911 tonight with the green laser. The “regular” one might actually be my favorite.
https://smile.amazon.com/photos/share/Zdas1PeOdXKPD63aXQWf6jcr1tfR9crNch21sb3f068
https://smile.amazon.com/photos/share/2m91LJIk3AKxhKLGxD4olG7wYcPzgzKVRg4vIjYRIdK
Green lasers are cool.
Those are pretty sweet
Thanks. They’re soft shooters. Thumbs up.
??
I just saw that there on Ancient Aliens. I’m not saying it’s aliens, but…
Just heard someone on TV describe the New Mexico guy with the terror training camp for kids as a Muslim extremist. Story hasn’t run yet. I’ll update. Also, who could have seen that coming. I was more than a little suspicious that none of the MSM stories on it would mention the guy’s background or motives.
I heard the same thing on Fox a few hours ago.
“One of the men arrested in the raid on a “filthy” New Mexico compound inhabited by a group believed to be “extremist of the Muslim belief” reportedly planned an “exorcism” on a 3-year-old boy and is the son of a controversial New York City imam linked to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.”
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/08/07/dad-arrested-at-muslim-extremist-new-mexico-home-planned-exorcism-tied-to-terror-linked-imam-report-says.html
“Siraj Wahhaj Sr was an unindicted co-conspirator in the 93 World Trade Center bombings. He is also Linda Sarsour’s mentor.”
https://twitter.com/JordanSchachtel/status/1027264542219423745
If the Sarsour thing is accurate this could be a pretty big deal.
Based on past history, it won’t.
You’re right. Who am I kidding?
Building a tire fort like that in the desert just screams surveil me, they may as well as had a neon blinking sign with a damn arrow. Dumb, dumb, dumb…
I’m having fun. My peculiar home doesn’t have Internet access and I don’t like to be in my office this late. I’m at a neighbor’s PV powered camp (a system I designed and built) using his Internet access (a system I designed and built) and drinking his beer.
Where are you?
Northern Vermont, right on the Canadian border.
Groovy!
That’s country living!
PV?
Photo Voltaic. Solar panels.
Sounds awesome!
I had friends with an off-the-grid home 30 years ago in the wilds of Upstate NY. I loved being there.
Thicc?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6038569/Demi-Rose-parades-peachy-posterior-daringly-semi-sheer-glittering-jumpsuit.html
Dammit. This is a tough one. If it’s the logo of some leather worker from bumfuck, IL, I don’t know how you track it down.
The good thing is now my search algorithms are really confused.
I love stuff like this. 🙂
PS: I wasn’t around most of yesterday and somehow missed your birthday, so belated wishes, Tundra.
A real life mystery!
Thanks, SP. It’s good to still be here!
Aw shit, happy birthday bud!
You’re still not too old to get into a mosh pit.
Happy Birthday!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGvjYV1VHcE
Weird. I couldn’t post comments, and had to restart my browser to get it to work.
The squirrels don’t like the fatasses.
I thought I had a hunch about that holster. But seems like I have The Hunches .
Turn up your Wednesday.
I read the far right characters as “Co.” Suthen could be right about the “I. J.” for Iver Johnson. I’m not really seeing it, but highly stylized characters can get pretty abstract.
It is JTC which is an old Illuminati symbol, and if you know your scrolls are the initials of Johnald Te Chump. He was a leather lover and a craftsman, but his main stay was riding crops. It is prophesied that once Chump, from the afterlife with the help of the Russians, makes his name mainstream again it will unleash the horsemen of the apocalypse. I could say more but I have said too much already.
This may or may not be true, but it is the /right/ answer.
That is really cool. Hang on to that.
I have three like that: A Colt M1917 from WWI (gg uncle), A S&W Hand Ejector 32-20(g grandfather), and a Stevens single barrel .410 (g grandmother). Treasures to be passed down to my grandchildren.
The only stories I know are that ggrandfather used the 32-20 to kill a ‘wildcat’, whatever that means. Bobcat in the chicken coop? Panther snooping around the pig pen? I dont know. The other is that grandma Suzie used the 410 to light up a thief who was stealing from her barn in the middle of the night. The next day she went to the sheriff, sheriff went to the doc and the local pilferer was there getting shot dug out of his ass.
That’s all I have. I know nothing about the M1917.
Cougar was a little too insistent on going home with him after last call.
“Moral Panic, Then and Now”
https://quillette.com/2018/08/08/moral-panic-then-and-now/
Good article, but this shit has been going on since the first mothers freaked out about their children.
The judiciary ass-fucking the Constitution is waaaaay scarier than all that shit, yet never qualifies as a ‘moral panic’.
The judiciary ass-fucking the Constitution is often due to moral panics. Such as the erosion of the 4th due to the War on Drugs, or the erosion of the 1st due to sex trafficking.
Yeah, I know, but it’s the term that bugs me.
I think its useful language because it reminds people of the satanic ritual abuse panic, Salem witch trials, etc. that turned out to be bullshit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOLmsujUqdY
Since this is a gun thread, it seems like a good spot for this reminder that John Kasich is a massive cunt
What a dick hole.
“common sense reforms that has been introduced and which will provide valuable tools to reduce gun violence.”
Every time you hear this remember that the end game is disarming the American people and no one ever wanted you to be unable to defend yourself for your own good. The so-called common sense reforms have only ever increased gun violence, not reduced it.
Kasich should go sit on a sharp stick. Who keeps electing that guy?
Yup….my governor right there.
Colossal d-bag
Careful now, his father was a mailman.
And Boehner was a ‘small business man’
/dabs @ tears
Mailmen in Ohio suck
“The gun legislation that did pass, SB 81, waives the $67 fee to obtain a concealed handgun license for applicants who honorably served in the U.S. military or are on active duty.”
Honesty, I don’t see why veterans shouldn’t have to pay the same fees as everyone else. Just like I don’t see why former police should get special carve outs.
Then again I’m for “constitutional carry”. If you can legally keep arms, then you can legally bear arms.
The argument is that they are easier to process because they have prior weapons training. *shrug* I agree with you. You want to see my permit, check the BOR.
Of course I agree
but there’s an evil part of me that thinks the license should cost $1,000,000 divided by the square of your score on some contrived shooting qualification where I, of course, easily score 1,000 and all the fucking cops I’ve ever seen at the range including last week in Texas will score an 8.
You would need a small-particle physicist to write the NYPD shooting scores. There was an incident a few years ago where they shot a half-dozen bystanders trying to stop one criminal.
He’s a total ass. I hate him and I hate DeWine who will probably be our next ahole Governer.
The Republican allowed SB 81 to become law without his signature on Friday, arguing that lawmakers missed the chance to enact gun control measures this session in the wake of a high-profile school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
Since you didn’t act irrationally in the wake of an emotional event, I won’t sign your bill.
Why should former government workers get a discount on the CCW fees? Everybody should,
Meadows massive new treatise on holsters “US MILITARY HOLSTERS and RELATED ACCOUTREMENTS”
this is apparently a thing
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0961819103/
The lowest asking price is $125. Am I willing to spend that much for a chance of an identification?…
Looks like whoever did that worked the image of the hammer and the trigger into a design of their own initials. Interesting whatever that is.
“Cincinnati Police Are Allowed to Tase Suspects as Young as 7 Years Old”
https://reason.com/blog/2018/08/08/ohio-police-tase-girl-kroger
TW: TOS
What kind of complete wuss needs a weapon against a small child?
This reminds reminds of the Eric Garner case, where a half-dozen sissies couldn’t arrest a fat guy with asthma without killing him.
My guess would be he’s a fatass who can’t outrun a small child, not to mention morally deficient for tazing a fucking kid in the back.
Tase my daughter and see if you can make your final arrangements before I decapitate you with a machete. I double-dog dare you.
“An American drink-driver argued that she should not be arrested because she is a “very clean, thoroughbred, white girl”, police documents state.
South Carolina woman Lauren Elizabeth Cutshaw, 32, was allegedly caught driving through a stop sign at twice the speed limit while under the influence early Saturday morning.
When pulled over police, she gave a lengthy explanation as to why she should not be arrested.
According to local paper the Island Packet, Cutshaw said she had perfect grades in high school, she was a cheerleader, she was in a sorority, her partner is a policeman, she graduated from a “high accredited university” and it was her birthday.
She also added: “I’m a white, clean girl.”
“You’re a cop. You should know what that means.””
https://www.9news.com.au/world/2018/08/08/18/30/drink-driver-told-cops-she-was-too-white-to-be-arrested
“You’re a cop. You should know what that means.”
“I’m getting lucky tonight?”
The top pics are ok. Drug problem of some sort in the booking photo. Beginner meth?
Looks drunk, clean, and definitely white.
*smoke begins to billow from cop’s ears accompanied by an utterly baffled expression*
Oh shit. What if she’s not really white? Should I shoot? She’s not a pit bull. On the other hand, I need to get home safely to my family. But what if she really IS white??
“Um…how about…let’s pretend I wasn’t a cop. Could you explain it as though I’m not a cop?”
Seriously. Having been in situations like this(albeit not from a law enforcement point of view), what I hear is Charlie Brown’s teacher.
I think it means you get arrested AND look like an idiot, you dumb thot.
I live on a neighborhood that is effectively a big cul-de-sac, and there are always kids on bikes and people with strollers. Now, granted, people can be idiots and do stuff like walk in the middle of the street next to a perfectly good sidewalk, or “walk” their dog off a leash, i.e. saunter blissfully unaware down the road while their black lab gambols through the street, crapping merrily on people’s lawns and jumping on people, but I digress. We have a four-way stop that people blast through past the neighborhood all the time, and each and every time I see it happen I think about carrying a brick with me, just in case I can wing them.
So yeah, give her ass the chair as far as I’m concerned.
Cops partner. What do you expect. She doesn’t need to follow no stinking rules
I’ve been looking at this off and on since Richard submitted it. I keep coming back to it being I J Co.
Then look again and change my mind. But my first impression is always I J Co.
Me too. It’s like he knew obsessive-compulsive people like me would obsess over it, a splinter in my mind which would constantly serve as a reminder that the puzzle hasn’t been solved. Sonovabitch.
Don’t have an answer but a couple of observations. Here’s a link to some Iver Johnson stuff (see Suthen’s post above): https://www.vintagegunleather.com/company-marks/johnson_history.html
Those don’t match.
Second point: I think there a couple of different things going on there. I see three letters across the middle (maybe ITCo) all of which have cross-hatchings. The large S doesn’t appear to have the cross marks so maybe the 3 letters are the maker/company and the other letter is a monogram?
I think I found the logo.
bad link forever lost to Robert Stack’s Unsolved Mysteries.
After doing some photo monip, it looks like JTC
This will haunt Glibs forever.
Like an HM link.
Shhhhh. You’ll only encourage him.
Has anyone seen Deadpool 2?
I wasn’t going to, but then I didn’t. And I don’t even have as good of a reason as Afroman.
er, *was going to*
Loved it. As good as the first one? No. But it was everything I want from a summer movie. I’m in the minority, but I liked it more than infinity war.
Infinity War depended on knowing all these characters from other movies. And I had no idea who the Guardians of the Galaxy people are.
Also, is the “super duper” cut better than the regular version?
Often, longer isn’t better. Although the longest of The Watchmen is the best of the three (?) versions.
I’m quitting my job.
(I wish)
It those women were my cow orkers I’d be fired for spending too much time in bathroom with the door locked before I could quite.
White blouses & black skirts are my kryptonite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7QDuuAS82M
Cute actress.
The Learn Cantonese one is pretty good also.
I thought she was Korean. She looks like Hyun A.
“You are posting comments too quickly. Slow down.”
Oh, fuck off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw9CALKOvAI
I’m normally not a fan of Korean. Too much sour fermented. But I could make an exception for her.
Vienna Lin is the chick in the Learn Cantonese. Her google results are mildly NSFW.
BTW, Couch Potato, I got a piece I’m almost finished with. You still up for taking a quick look at it before I submit it? I should be done with it by Friday or Saturday.
No problem, just put it up on pastebin or something.
Meanwhile, Jesse seems to want me to write an article on yoga. And I think I’ve figured a way to make it a teensy bit shorter than the Vedas.
Cool. I’ll try to wrap it up today or tomorrow. Got three 9 year old girls I gotta watch today, so it’s hard to concentrate. OMWC jealous.
Not at all the Jap I wanted to see strip.
Those are Chinks, you racist bastard.
Fuck. My joke went all slanty.
He’s singing a Taiwanese folk song so you get a half point.
“Conspiracy theories:
Unacceptable: some Youtube guy convinces a few thousand followers that lizard people are an issue.
Acceptable: thousands of faculty convince millions of students to reject Western Civilization’s core values as nothing more than systemic racism & sexism.”
https://twitter.com/primalpoly/status/1027245807139840000
Except that isn’t Alex Jones. It’s David Icke.
So, the new #SmokingGun is audio of Nunes saying this stuff is political. Of course it is. And also, it was obtained supposedly at a fundraiser for a rep from Washington state, but where I haven’t found where it takes place, because Washington state is a two party state, so if this was recorded in Washington state that’s a felony, oops. BUT ITS GUNNA TAKE DOWN DRUMPF!
https://twitter.com/VICEUK/status/1024231211558817792
Coded language?
I don’t know what to say. Stop the world, I want to get off?
Lemme give you a hand.
I know, I know, but it’s like every time I see one of those tweets the author lives in NYC.
/some, I assume, are good people
Moar my speed.
Is the effeminate yellow fellar saying ‘Nay Nay Nigga’? Or have I had too much bourbon?
內個 (nèi gè). He’s saying something like “I’m inside”.
Similar sounding “I [want] to buy that one”
More fun
https://youtu.be/wTk2WkRMLzg
One shouldn’t need to announce it if he is…
Poking around with a photo editor, I think these would be the individual components.
Though it doesn’t really say whether or not those two characters are I, T, J, L or whatever.
Letters
Scroll
Background
Fantastic! However I still can’t tell what any of the elements mean.
I had to close up shop last night earlier than I had hoped. Thanks for all the replies everyone!
For an parent of a small child, highly suggest forcing them to watch The Aquabat’s Supershow and giving to there kickstarter for a new season.
So, which one are you?
I’m the uncle that used the show as break from his nephew watching Yo Gabba Gabba, a stain on the earth.
I was thinking “the robot”, but, “the disgusted uncle” works, too.
Don’t get me wrong, if I were offered a chance to write or direct or act in an episode of ‘AquaBats! Supershow’ I’d do it in a heartbeat.
Write OR direct! Look at the Renaissance Man over here!
Hey, you’re one of few glibs with access to my actual work. You tell me if I can do all three well.
Fishin’ for compliments, eh?
No, as far as I’m concerned, you’d do fine.
No, I work in Country Radio, I’m Fishin in the Dark.
Love that reverb.
Hi Richard, I know this is late after you posted, but i think i found a lead for you.
When i look at the emboss what i see is an H (lowercase) followed by Co. all of his is interlaced with the number 8 (What you see as a G or C).
With the information about your Great-Grand Father being in the Illinois National Guard i looked up what units were active during the 1880’s. I found one: The 8th Infantry, and it did have an H company. You can find the roster here: https://www.ilsos.gov/isaveterans/spanAmericanSearch.do.
Something to note is that the 8th was an All African American Regiment, mostly drawn from the Chicago area, though H company appears to be mostly from the Springfield area.
Hope this guides you along, but let me know if it’s way off.
Thanks! My great-grandfather isn’t in that database but you’ve provided enough information to enable me to discover that in 1885 he was 2nd Lieutenant F Company 1st Infantry and then 1st Lieutenant B Company 1st Infantry. Perhaps the “flattened 8 with a bow on the left side” is a stylized B?
I wonder at what rank one was presented with a sidearm.
I want to say in those days more officer’s sidearms were purchased, not issued, but don’t quote me on that.
Do you know if he bought the rig new?
No. Colt has a records service but the expensive letter I received contained only the fact that was the revolver was made in 1889.
Any chance that might be the initials of the rig’s original owner?
Possibly. I have no information about the revolver and holster other than my great-grandfather owned them. My current best guess is that the embossing says ISGBCo for Illinois State Guard B Company.
Could be.
If nobody has told you yet, I think it’s I J Co. Iver Johnson Company
You may right. This Iver Johnson logo is similar:
http://gungrip.com/iver-johnson-shotgun-large-grip-cap.aspx