For whom was Bilbo’s mithril coat forged?

[Alcuin]

In Chapter 16, “A Thief in the Night”,

The Elvenking looked at Bilbo with a new wonder. “Bilbo Baggins!” he said. “You are more worthy to wear the armour of elf-princes than many that have looked more comely in it…”

and in Chapter 13, “Not at Home”,

[Thorin] put on Bilbo a small coat of mail, wrought for some young elf-prince long ago. It was of silver-steel which the elves call mithril, and with it went a belt of pearls and crystals.

Now of this second passage, Douglas Anderson in The Annotated Hobbit remarks in footnote 2 to this chapter that,

1937:”It was of silvered steel and ornamented with pearls, and with it went a belt of pearls and crystals” > 1966 Ball[antine]: “It was of silver-steel, which the elves call mithril, and with it went a belt of pearls and crystals”

This revision introduces the name mithril in The Hobbit and brings the description of Bilbo’s mail-coat into accord with that in The Lord of the Rings. …

These descriptions of Bilbo’s mithril mail match Aragorn’s reaction in Chapter 6, “Lothlórien”, in Fellowship of the Ring:

Here’s a pretty hobbit-skin to wrap an elven-princeling in!

However, in Chapter 12, “Inside Information”, Thorin and Balin recalling the treasures of Thrór mention (emphasis mine)

the necklace of Girion, Lord of Dale, made of five hundred emeralds green as grass, which he gave for the arming of his eldest son in a coat of dwarf-linked rings the like of which had never been made before, for it was wrought of pure silver to the power and strength of triple steel.

Is this “coat of dwarf-linked rings … wrought of pure silver to the power and strength of triple steel” Bilbo’s mithril coat? If not, then for whom was the mithril coat forged? Legolas? And how many child-sized mithril coats are there? for if this is not the same as that made for Girion’s son, there must be two child-sized mithril coats.

Thrór returned to Erebor about 350 years before the events of The Hobbit. That would make Legolas very young indeed (for an Elf) had the coat of mail been forged for him: else, the Dwarves would surely have delivered it to Thranduil. By the same token, were the mail forged earlier than that, during the sojourn of Durin’s Folk in the Grey Mountains for instance, some 400 years earlier, it does not make sense that they would have failed to deliver the mail for centuries upon end while hauling it around.

Surely it stands to reason that the mithril armor was forged for the son of Girion Lord of Dale, paid for with Girion’s emerald necklace, and delivery was interrupted by Smaug’s arrival. The magnificence of the artifact was such that Thorin, the Elvenking, and Aragorn assumed that it must have been for an Elven-prince – unless, of course, they knew it was, and for whom it was made, in which case Legolas is an awfully young Elf.

[Earniel]

Going purely by phrasing in the quote, I'd say the eldest of Girion had already received his mithril armour. When I read 'eldest' I didn't think of a child, but rather someone grown. Otherwise it would be a pricely affair to buy this kid a new coat of armour every few years if the first one costs already five hundred emeralds! Growth spurts must have been met with much sighing.

But 'eldest' implies he's not the only one, so it could have been that Girion had more sons and that the mail that ultimately went to Bilbo was meant for a younger son. Still, in any case I'd say a elf-prince makes more sense, I daresay the Elves were richer, and an elf-child would get more mileage out of such a mail, considering they'd grow more slowly.

Leaves only to see which elf-prince it could be. Judging by the time frame, Thranduil is about the only known Elf-ruler left that uses the title of King. Which would suggest the mail was either for Legolas or some other, hypothetical sibling of his. How many Elf-kings or elf-princes could there be that Tolkien didn't specifically mentions? There we'll have to speculate. But if Thranduil had paid for the mail, wouldn't he have wanted to get it? He doesn't strike me as the type that would forget. (Unless he lost his receipt or something.)

But it it was intented for Girion's son, either young or old, or undelivered or not, why is everyone so convinced it would have been an elf-prince's? Now there's an intriguing question. It could be that traditionally elf-princes wore silver, pearls and crystals specifically so that any of that combination immediately brought them to mind. Perhaps Girion was trying to emulate the Elves when he ordered such one for his son?

[Valandil]

Originally Posted by Alcuin

In Chapter 16, “A Thief in the Night”,
and in Chapter 13, “Not at Home”,
:
:
:
Surely it stands to reason that the mithril armor was forged for the son of Girion Lord of Dale, paid for with Girion’s emerald necklace, and delivery was interrupted by Smaug’s arrival. The magnificence of the artifact was such that Thorin, the Elvenking, and Aragorn assumed that it must have been for an Elven-prince – unless, of course, they knew it was, and for whom it was made, in which case Legolas is an awfully young Elf.

So then... by rights, Bilbo's mithril coat should belong to Bard? Perhaps that part of their family history had not been passed along - and even if it was, I doubt Bard ever knew that Bilbo had it, or that Thorin or Bilbo ever had a thought about determining rightful ownership (after all - Dragon's plunder is fair game to all, right...).