I've been doin' a lot of diggin' as of late on the origins of proof rules/law & the French under the Order of the Committee of Public Safety in Paris dated I Vendémiaire of the year III of the French Revolutionary calendar(September 22, 1794) established and was the basis, along with the St. Étienne rules, of the Liége rules. The mechanics in St. Étienne apparently like to apply their mark to their wares, whilst the mechanics @ Liége preferred to peddle >>Trade Guns<< devoid of any marks less the name of the firearms merchant/retailer atop the barrel(s). Said >>Trade Guns<< in Liege were exempted, included, exempted, included depending on the law @ the time. That's what they wanted to ship their wares to a jumping off point without any names to their customers like in Portugal and Portuguese Colonies like Brazil who highly favoured the small bore(68 bore/gauge they referred to as 32 Bore but was actually a 410. Remember their bore diameter was per Kilo or the French weight unit) for Jungle / Bush Hunting.
This too was about the time that the French established the Prime Meridian going thru Paris......
Hochachtungsvoll,
Raimey
rse
