I W / I Walton

• I W has been forwarded as the initial stamp used by John Walton Jr. of Reading MA. Two planes are reported: a crown molder marked IW and a coping / round molder stamped with both the IW and I Walton / In Reading imprints. On the molder, a question arises as the IW initial mark appears to stamped over the I Walton / In Reading mark ...which doesn't make sense if the IW mark came first. In the close-up photo of the molder, look at both the O and the N of Walton ... where they intersect with the IW imprint. (The trailing middle of the O overlays the lower I. The center of the N crosses at the top half of the I and the lower part of the N intersects the upper leading end of the W.)

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Question 1  How do the stamps appear to the reader? Is the IW stamped over the I Walton??

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• Separately, compare the IW crown molder with an early I Walton crown molder. The end chamfers are identical, while the IW tote is similar but different from the I Walton example. Both crown molders have inked prices on the heel and a 1775 document written and signed by John Walton is included as a comparison. The molder and the IW crown both have an incuse owner's mark J + C.