Altered Serial #'s on scope mount ?

Peter, I tried to send you a message on this question, but I can't figure out how to add the pic's and I dont think the message went thru, so I'm making this post.
As some of you might remember, I made a post about my T serial # 1391, that has been in cold storage for the past 40+ years and I was inquiring info. about it.
Since the scope and mount and can, are not the correct match for this T, I decide to split up the package and sell them separately.
Upon cleaning up the scope and mount, it appears that the mount has been painted black.
After cleaning some of the paint off the mount and examining the serial #, it appears that the area around the#'s has been "cleaned or ground" and above the number 3, it looks like a 7 was stamped right above it with the 3 overlapping the bottom of the 7.
Under a magnifying glass, the 7 does not appear to be a "scratch" in the grain, as it looks like a perfect number 7.
Sooooooo, I am questioning this, wondering if I'm just too suspicious or this is a normal thing, or if these #'s have been altered.???
If so, for what "good" reason? Is it possible that this mount is a repro or an original that has altered #'s?
I took some pic's under a magnifying glass and you can just see the 7 in the grain just touching the top of the # 3.
I did not clean the shiny area around the number's, this is how it looked after the paint came off.
Any info on this would be greatly appreciated, as I will not attempt to sell this as an original if it is not.
Thanks again,
Chuck, down in stormy raining Florida

Looks like the top of a 3, rather than a 7 to me. Sorta double struck, as in "Whoops, a little lower there mate".

I got your message Catman and decided not to answer for reasons best kept to myself. Ask any fitter working in a workshop whether he hasn't mis-struck a letter/figure stamp or stamped the letter/figure upside down or even worse, stamped the wrong letter/figure badly spaced or out of kilter and I'll show you a liar. Listen Catman, WE HAVE ALL DONE IT

Engineers/Armourers out there, time to come clean and admit to Catman that we are all fallible

Catman,
Just for your information, I have a mount that has two former numbers struck out and the current one struck lighter than the rest.
To me your number also looks kosher regardless of the other number underneath IMHO that is

OK, Peter, I appreciate the info. Since I'm having problems with my Windows XP, and many of my e mails do not work, I didn't know if you had got it or not. I wasn't trying to rock anyone's apple cart.
Thanks also, Gill and Andiarisaka for your input as well.
I too, have stamped lots of things and had a "bounce" or "whoops", so I also considered that was the simple reason. But since counter fitting in this area is not unheard of, I though I would ask the experts before I made any decision myself.
The light 7 wasn't my biggest concern, until I noticed the "cleaned" area around it, which appeared to be unnatural and that made me suspicious.
I didn't want to attempted to sell anything that wasn't "real" if it was not..
I can't find the thread for "Thanking Peter", but I wanted to add my 2 cents worth.
I can't thank you and the others here for the unmeasurable amount of info. I have absorbed from this forum.
You guys are the BEST!!!! :thup::super::cheers:
Thanks again,
Chuck

Ohhhhh, I forgot something about the mount.

Before I attempt to sell it, to "anyone" I wanted to know if you or anyone here, might have the correct serial # matching rifle that is the correct match for it, as I'm sure it would be very happy on it's original rifle.
Thanks again ,
Chuck

Chuck,
Its probably in the 4T graveyard in the sky by now but you never know. Good Luck with the sale it should make over $100 easily as an original

4T graveyard is a good possibility--your right. I feel lucky enough to have the original "T".
$100. ? Since I'm a newbe to this particular item, I don't have any real experience with their value, but I thought I saw on on Fleabay go for $850 for an original, but I'm probably wrong on that.
But I did see the Repro's made in China, go for about $200. and I haven't a clue as to what the Good repro's go for, that our forum member makes.
I would find it had to swallow, that an original one, would sell less than a repro., but what do I know--- not much.
Again, Thanks for all the input, I'm still learning.:)
Chuck

Gil's right, there's a good chance the matching rifle is long gone but you never know. If you ain't in a whopping great hurry to sell them you might want to list them in the scopes looking for rifle section of the Angel's ''Match Making'' Service below. There were a lot of T's sold in the U.S. with mismatched scopes or with no scope at all. Just my .02 worth.