Greene and Tweed Basa Hammer #4

I found some similar mallets on the internet, but none of them say definitively what these were used for. I bought it because I liked the look of it. It is quite heavy and has rawhide on each end. One website said these were used by millers and another called them refractory hammers for breaking bricks in furnaces. Not sure, but it's still cool. Has initials carved into handle. Interesting tool!