This type of mark is often nicknamed 'donut mark' and is normally not related to a certain maker. It represents a tax/customs mark utilized on (normally) otherwise unmarked exports and was used between 1904 and around 1917-1920, depending on sea port. Rules of use were rather complicated. They involved the purchase of mark templates as proof of paid export tax; these templates were then used to mark the items. Alternatively a customs officer could also wet-stamp the items personally, at port. This whole 'tax paid' marking method was of course prone to error and forgery and therefore soon replaced.
There is much more to this mark type, e.g. why and when it was used together with a maker mark or why it sometimes appears personalized towards a specific marker but none of that applies here.
