Antique Brass KING Apple Stencil, H.L McPherson, Boston

Now and again I come across old stencils cut for painting apple barrels or crates, but I believe this is the first KING I've seen, and as a lover of found language, how to resist? A gift fit for a king, I'd say--and good in all sorts of contexts. (The King apple, red with yellow stripes and also known as the Tompkins King, was long thought to have originated at Jacksonville in Tompkins County, NY, but later that tree was discovered to have been grafted, with the cultivar apparently brought from Warren County, NJ in 1804. ) This king stencil is impressed with a mark from H.L McPherson, Commerical St. Boston and I believe dates to the late 19th c.

7 1/2" x 3 5/8" and in good antique condition, with a nice patina.