One other possibility, which has not been mentioned above if I read correctly, is that these (or at least some) are modern made and aged copies. I have an Indian friend who has said to me that I should NOT buy anything from India described as "old" or "antique" unless I have watertight provenance. His comment was that India is the new China in terms of copies. This of course is not necessarily an all encompassing statement, but simply that extreme care should be taken when buying "old" items.
It should also perhaps be noted that there are, from time to time, many "old" and "antique" powder flasks being advertised from India, "made by" such well known makers as Hawksley etc.
Stu
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