400NE,

I thank you sir for your detailed reply. That is the confirmation I was looking for. The gun was made in 1900 as it has a silver placque on the stock which says: "Presented to James M Bolton together with a silver fruit basket and scent bottle for Mrs Bolton as a mark of esteem from the Captains of Strathline and a few friends January 1901" I have managed to establish that Strath Line was a shipping company which operated out of Aberdeen, Scotland from about 1865 to 1930. The gun had no numbers on it whatsoever and only an M stamped on the lower rib just before the forend loop. It had to have a number engraved on it in order to comply with the SA licensing laws. The gun has 32" Damascus barrels is Nitro Proofed and has a 3" chamber (LC inside a diamond on the barrel flats so it has not had the chamber lengthened).

Regards,
kologha