brass/bronze coated plate 10.5 inches across

[nixologist]

I found this detecting in the dirt floor of a shed 25 years ago.It's brass/bronze coated.About 10.5 inches wide and weighs 10 pounds.Took it to a couple of local appraiser's back then without any positive id.two words are stamped on the back with a number scratched in. was told the one word musterschultz? is old German for patented. the other not a clue. the number that was scratched in it could have been a catalog number for a museum.The shed was on a farm where the son was a paratrooper in ww2 that dropped on Hitler's bunker or retreat.could have been brought back in the bottom of his duffel bag as a spoil of war? After all these years in my closet I thought I would try to find out for certain.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Upgraded Night Vision Monocular Digital Infrared Monocular Telescope for 100% Darkness with 8X Zoom - Grab it through Amazon!

[pippinwhitepaws]

nice piece.
i do not see any marks to indicate this piece was ever assessed into a museum.

i found some similar pieces at this site...perhaps the plate you have is missing it's base?

http://www.beverlyhillsantiques.com/store/sb1_store.asp?CatID=2205

 

[Blacksheep]

Is that Griffins in/around the border?

Looks like an old wall plate/plaque but a very interesting one,
nice find.

 

[DCMatt]

The other word looks like MAEGDES?BERG. I found a German city with a similar name, but not spelled quite the same.

Are there any holes in it?

What is the number? Scratched/etched in or stamped or cast?

DCMatt

 

[Harry_Morant]

I think the other word is Mägdesprung which was the old name for what is now Mägdesburg in Germany (used to be part of Prussia).

The literal translation of Mägdesprung is Maids Jump. Apparently based on a legend about a giant virgin (I kid you not) who leapt the valley with a farmer and his horse and cart in her apron. Mägdesprung was apparently famous for its foundries.

It may well be one of the plates from an obelisk table from the 1880/90s.

I've turned one of the images around and enhanced the initials and they look like 'RP'.

Given that its quite heavy have you considered it may be a high quality cast iron piece as the Mägdesprung foundries worked a lot in Iron although it certainly does look to be brass/bronze. Have you tried a magnet on it?

 

[Monty]

I have seen plates similar to this in use at church when they have communion. The "bread" or unlevined crackers are broken and served in such a plate. Monty

 

[dozer dan]

the second one looks like a part of a wall sconce for a light / gaslight.

 

[lostcauses]

Numbers seem to be the mold number, Cast item with the location made, brass or bronze: Nice item.

 

[DCMatt]

I think Harry nailed it.

Check out page 39 of this document (in German).

http://sundoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/diss-online/01/01H313/t22.pdf

DCMatt

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

a tazza.