🔎 UNIDENTIFIED What does "RITANN" mean on a flatware handle?

[invent4hir]

All, I found part of a flatware handle near an old hand-dug well, where over a 2-day period I also found a 1774 2 Reales, 5 large cents (2 in one hole along with a Imperial Standard flat button), a possible padlock keyhole cover, etc. Under 10x magnification the legible letters on the handle appear to spell “RITANN”. Per the Free Dictionary, the only words containing that are BRITANNIA & BRITANNIAS. The letter preceding the “R” is damaged and what is there may be distorted. It looks like an “R”, but could be a “B”. After the “N” there could be a faint “I”, but no letter appears to follow it.

If it is BRITANNIA, what does that represent? 1) A symbol of Britain? 2) Britannia Metal, since the handle appears to be pewter? 3) The name of a manufacturer (I wasn’t able to find)? 4) Other?