Jaques 1930's Set

I own only one Jaques set, which seems to be from the 1930s. It has some peculiarities about which I'm hoping some of you can offer insights. It appears to have been originally offered for sale in a department store for $250 together with a leather board, then later discounted at Lord & Taylor in NYC to $165.

The White King is stamped, but only with London, not Jaques.

The boxwood pieces have little patina. The King's Rooks and Knights are stamped.

The Knights are incredibly crude. It's as if someone carved them out of putty with a dull knife.

interesting that the white king only has a partial maker's mark and the black king is missing same mark. The set is not from the 1930s. Looks like the design Jaques produced during WW2 or in the immediate post-war period. Are the black pieces ebony or stained? Jaques did produce sets w/ stained boxwood during the war due to the unavailability of ebony.

Based on what evidence? I've seen many similar looking original Jaques sets. 

That is not corrrect. The knight design correctly matches the crude knights jaques produced after 1940. I'll see if I can dig up some pics.

I am least suspicious of the box. I'd wager a good penny it's original.

Look at the label -- in the 1930s, the label said "Genuine Staunton Chessmen". 

In the 1940s, it was changed to "The Original Staunton Chessmen". So assuming the set is from the 1940s, the box/label are correct. 

Source:

http://www.fersht.com/chess/registrationlabels.html

http://www.fersht.com/checklist.html

Yes, I'm familiar with Fersht's website. It's beyond credible. Not sure I agree that this can't be genuine. The pieces pretty well comport to Alan's archetypes for the period. Parts of it might not be genuine. The problem is that to my amateur eye and patzer's knowledge, it bears a number of markers of authenticity, along with some question marks.

I believe Fersht notes that the Knights' heads are likely not to have the same shading as they are finished separately. 

Thanks, Frank. I should examine my own pieces more closely. The White King does in fact bear a Jaques stamp 180 degrees from the London stamp.

I believe it's ebony, which would date it pre-war. Here's a shot inside the Black Queen, showing the weight and uniform color of the wood. The black pieces show brown streaking and pores not evident in the White pieces or in any other boxwood pieces I own.

See my post about the label, which dates the set to the 1940s. Not all sets produced during the war were stained. 

Thanks for the photo. The weight seems to be missing the tool marks typical for weights on Jaques sets. Not sure whether that means anything.

Agreed about the label. Regarding the weights, I recall that Jaques weights had holes to fit a tool that allowed them to be screwed in. I've messaged Alan and asked him to please comment.

Actually it does say Jaques. It's spelled without the c.

Najdorfian, I appreciate your interest and your comments, but while I agree there are flags--hence my post--I think you're overstating your case. The set has many markers of authenticity, notwithstanding the question marks. I like a good mystery, and have asked a world expert to please comment. Hopefully we can all get an education, even if it's at my expense!

I hope you are able to get the mystery solved. Thanks for the great pics. Its an interesting set.

Hi Chuck,

I think it is a genuine Jaques. Made during a period when they were just startnig to source sets from outside Europe 1940-1960 IMHO.

I have seen three sets with mis stamped Jaques stamps, in one case LONDON LONDON. Friday afternoon disease.

It is what it is.

Thank you Alan!