Finding a patent for the Cantaba alloy registered by Lecomber would help. I got close, but probably won't win a coconut.
A book titled … "Abridgment Of United States, British And German Patents On Alloys Covering The Production Of Platinum Substitutes Including Alloys Having Certain Of The Properties Of Platinum". Compiled in1918 by MOCK & BLUM, Patent Lawyers, 220 Broadway, New York, N. Y.
An archive copy from;
https://ia600309.us.archive.org/14/items/abridgmentofunit00mock/abridgmentofunit00mock.pdf
Lists under Class 3-A. … alloys considered suitable for electric resistance purposes and for ignition points for spark plugs and magnetos. …
British Patent 16,324 of
1884, Lecomber.
"Non-oxidizable or difficultly oxidizable hard alloys, consist of 9 parts of gold, 1 of silver and 14 of copper, or 3 parts of gold, three of iridium, and 4 of platinum. Nickelcobalt, chromium, or palladium may be added. These alloys are very ductile."
Since this is a very expensive alloy it will have quickly fallen out of use. Being a high copper alloy may have confused it with anti-friction bearing materials. It is unlikely but possible that it was the proverbial Cantaba. If the meta data such as the patent attorneys can be identified, then it may lead to other patents.
Early British patents are in the Archives at Kew. If someone would care to search the UK Government Web Archive for a reference to British patent 16,324 of 1884 they may find Lecomber refers to WG Lecomber at the age of about 14, or more probably his father, WW Lecomber.