A very scholarly, well presented and fascinating work. I think it deserves a sticky as a reference source.
I'm also sure you will be expanding it as it is obvious you have a love for this contract--and understandably so.
Your original questions are more difficult to address with any certainty. As stated above value on specialties is.. well, special. The reworked piece will turn some collectors off. Their value of the piece will reflect that. The guy next to him would LOVE to have it (me) despite that. For the person buying with an eye to the future for resale value original always has a larger market and reworks are a calculated risk.
For the collector that collects for the internal satisfaction of having something he is proud of, it should not matter greatly what the market or critics think-after all the executor of your estate is the one that will have to figure it all out.
Just the .02 of a "brainless" (because I shoot matched Navy Lugers) old collector.
Gary
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