Thomas George Sharpe’s British patent (No. 266) dated January 6, 1906, covered the "dual face" design on this iron and described it as a backspin iron: "The object of this invention is to give increased accuracy in approaching the hole by causing the ball to roll as short a distance as possible after it touches the ground. To ensure this the face of the club...is made at two different angles, the upper part being perpendicular or nearly so, as an ordinary club, the lower part projecting forward at an angle to the upper part.

The Nov. 9, 1906 issue of Golf Illustrated, which reviewed the club once it was released for public sale reported,  "It is particularly useful for those little, slack-wristed well followed-through shots of 10 to 15 yards from rough grass up to the hole, which lift the ball almost the whole way and fall very dead. As a stymie lofter alone this mashie deserves a place in every player's bag (p.125)."

The club offered here is modeled after Sharp's mashie, made by Spalding and offered in their 1913 catalog.  It has its original 35" shaft and grip with "S.M" owner's initials stamped on the back of the head. 

As was the case with a number of uniquely designed clubs that were given positive reviews when they were introduced, this club was not well accepted in the UK or the US. No doubt it would sometimes run afoul of the rules against double striking a ball.