What does "PBM" on the bottom of an antique wooden decoy duck stand for?

Carvers of antique decoys often put their initials on the bottom of their decoys; however, a carver with the initials PBM is unknown. Hand-carved, wooden decoys became the standard in the latter half of the 19th century and persisted until the 1950s-60s when plastic decoys were mass produced.

Antique decoys are valued by condition, rarity and artist. The species of duck carved and the pose it was carved in can also increase the value. A well-known carver named Elmer Crowell, who lived in Massachusetts until his death in 1951, carved a Canadian goose decoy that sold at auction for $684,500 in 2000. Decoyinfo.com offers to examine photos of antique decoys and supply information about them.