Hi John, Welcome. The date of birth would be 1897. The small marking is probably numbers of a sub inspector. You could try cleaning the wrist area a little to see if any cartouche is still left. Value is going to depend on condition. Is the hand guard without cracks? Does it have the correct sight? If you think you are hooked on Krags, you need to get some books. I'm sure more info will come your way. John