A follow-up. I had the opportunity to study another navy holster/stock combination that made it back to the surface. Sadly the guns (yes, guns) had rusted away completely, so did the loading tools (just a heap of rusty residue in the pocket) and the cleaning rods. The leather itself was in a relatively good condition and the wood stock was still looking nice, although the attaching iron and the ID disk had rotted off. The crown/M was clearly visible.
The stocked holster was complete with it's carrying loops and the back plate of a magazine pouch. It came from a wooden crate that had 8 or 10 navy rigs in it, all in a similar state (iron parts gone, leather, wood and brass ok). One of the stocked holsters is now on display at a Dutch shipwreck museum.
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