Lyons picket pin marking

[mitch fenton]

I recently acquired a Lyons pin which had and interesting ordnance stamp on it that I have never seen, wanted to share.

Thanks,

Mitch Fenton

[Todd]

Looks like US Ordnance Dept stamp.

I’ve seen this nearly exact stamp on the very infrequent M1904 saddle stirrup loop - I’m sure others have seen it in other places…

F60044D2-EA49-4073-A30E-F36148C32D26.jpeg (1.47 MiB) Viewed 1784 times

[mitch fenton]

Todd, that stamp I have seen on RIA produced saddles on the hangar also, but first time I have seen it on a pin. I wonder when they stopped marking them RIA with date ( latest I've seen was 1910, first was 1902) and when they used this stamp

[Todd]

Good question. Would I be correct in assuming that the picket pin production would likely have ceased in that 1910 time frame, with the potential of a new Cavalry Board being seated, along the same lines as the 1910 Infantry Board intent on equipment modernization?

These just don't strike me as 'production' marks, as they don't appear to be universal where they do show up. A few examples of marked saddles show up, this pin, likely other bits and pieces. Plus the wear and tear on stamping equipment for a branch identifier seems wasteful. It is almost on the level of a sign of property control, vs. production identification.

Although, Rock Island Arsenal wasn't really in the saddletree business for the enlisted equipment, so it might have been related to the very limited arsenal production.