G'day from Oz.
I just discovered a '73 Maynard fitted with a Hadley device & marked "J. P. Lower". Grateful for comments on whether the J P Lower markings look legitimate.
The rifle has been restocked with a nice perch belly stock with checkpiece & a forearm and this work looks like it was done by a pro. This rifle is a very unusual find out here in Oz!!
Thanks, Spud.

   George Schoyen worked in Lower's shop shortly after he migrated west until starting a shop of his own doing general gunsmithing and developing a barrel making system of his own. Both Lower and Schoyen were noted riflemen in Denver. I have some photographs of Lower with targets shot at long range with a military Sharps Borchardt in 45-70 that are quite impressive. I also have some photos of his shop both inside and out. You have a very unique rifle to be thankful for. There is a lot known about Lower, so am sure this tidbit will be added to.

George Schoyen worked in Lower's shop shortly after he migrated west until starting a shop of his own doing general gunsmithing and developing a barrel making system of his own.

As I remember - snickering allowed at my age -  the stories I've heard and read are that early on Schoyen worked for Gove, not Lower.

Bill Lawrence

I gotya by a couple years Bill and freely admit the occasional lapse. Just happy to still be here. What is the saying? I would have taken better care of myself if I had known I would live this long.

I am questioning the font on that stamp. It looks modern to me.

The marking looks like individual stamps were used.
They are carefully placed, but the letters are just slightly tilted or high/low of what would be  'guidelines' if such existed.

A roll die, or a one piece stamp (at the time) was hand cut.
The finishing work done to the die or stamp by the cutter is to file the top edge and the bottom edge of the letters/numbers even. 

That does a couple things.
One is that the tops and bottoms of the figures are flat and all in line as far as height. None extend above a 'guide line' nor below it.

Two, it leaves the vertical portions of the figures with a flat top or end.
Never a rounded vertical portion of a letter or number as can be seen in this instance.

Rounded vertical ends are what became the norm when machine made and reproduced stamps and dies came into use.
Tiny Pantograph rotary cutters were used to cut a master die. That leaves the ends rounded. The stamps made from those dies by a Hot Punch process simply duplicated that feature.

The 'periods' in the marking are not anywhere equal in size, the depth of each individual being the cause.
They are also round, where most (not all!) hand cut ROLL DIE work was done with small squares for periods. 
If a hand stamp or roll die was used, the periods would be equal depth excepting a period at the beginning or end of a legend. 
There the die walking onto the surface and again off of it at the end of the marking will often impress deeper.
To avoid that, roll dies were usually made with a 'Foot' at the beginning or end of the line. That Foot could be as simple as a short straight line or as fancy as a small scroll or other decorative figure.
The impressing of that Foot walks the die up into position on the surface and then the line of letterings impresses equally as it rolls. The Foot takes the uneven first impression pressure assuring the lettering is even depth.

Hand stamps didn't need such and depend completely on the skill of the person making the mark. Sometimes a jig was used to hold the one piece stamp in position for a good 'strike'.

The Modern looking style font of the mark I agree with as well.


Just what I see.