What am I looking for in a 1923 "M" restoration bearing/crown, and how to measure, please?

[Thomas Cole]

gordon stelter wrote:

>P.S. Unless someone knows otherwise, I believe "to the
>nines" may be a "hipster" permutation of "the whole
>nine yards", the amount of cloth needed to make monks'
>robes.  "Going the "whole nine yards" "  meant "fully
>committed", as in when one leaves "the world" to join
>a monastery.
>

Gordon, you may be alluding to "Dressed up to the nines", meaning 
elaborately or overly dressed, ten being absolute perfection.