Cattle brand maybe?

[Audozer]

Picked this out of the ground at another miners cabin site, this thing is handmade so it's obviously one of a kind but I would like your input as to what it actually is. I am thinking cattle brand but the leading edge is tapered darn near to a sharp point as if this thing was used to stamp that design into some inanimate object but that is entirely speculation on my part. The last arm that appears to be broken was actually removed, chiseled off as near as I can tell. The other side I'm assuming is bent toward the "O" causing it to take a different angle on the leading edge. The "handle" end appears to not be broken and doesn't give any indication of an attachment or being hammered on beyond its initial construction. As I said, this thing is all hand made and by a skilled individual, I often will just hold it and marvel at the work that went into its construction. Ive pulled far more valuable and intricate things from the ground but there's just something about this one. I still have a great appreciation for the hard work and ingenuity of people who were just trying to make a living all that time back before my own existence using little more than skill and determination, makes me feel like a wuss in comparison lol. Thanks for looking!

 

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[EccentricInTexas]

Looks like one to me. Missing the letter or shape off the one side. Kinda looks like the green lantern symbol.

 

[cudamark]

Looks like a branding iron to me too. The removed part may have represented a partner in the ranch that either died or got bought out.

 

[Old Pueblo]

Yes, I'd say so, and thats a great find. There is probably a record of that brand somewhere, as well. And if you can find it, it would tell you when that thing was in use, but that may be difficult since it looks like its broken on one end. My guess would be early to mid 20th century. What state are you in?

 

[BosnMate]

It sure looks like a branding iron to me. Brands are read top down, left to right, outside in. Branding irons are constructed with a gap ---- like where the one letter is at an angle to the other on your iron, it has been accidentally bent in. Originally the letters would have been level, with a gap of a 1/4 inch or so, otherwise, when joined together, it just leaves an unreadable scar when the animal is branded. The reason for the sharp edge is because the iron was used a lot, and eventually the heating and cooling, and rust, causes the edge to wear down. New branding irons have about an eighth inch edge, old used irons get rusty and flake off, plus heating and cooling, causes the edge to thin. An iron with too thin an edge, will burn through the hide, which is not what one wants on a cattle brand. Again, an iron with a thin edge that burns through, just causes a large, unreadable scar. I don't think yours has a "c," in fact I don't know what that letter might be, and of course we don't know what is missing on the other side. Brands can be all sorts of things, sometimes only known to the owner. My great grandparents were teetotalers, thoroughly opposed to alcohol, so his brand was a broken wine glass. If you didn't know that, you'd think it was some kind of weird Y.

 

[BosnMate]

Yes, I'd say so, and thats a great find. There is probably a record of that brand somewhere, as well. And if you can find it, it would tell you when that thing was in use, but that may be difficult since it looks like its broken on one end. My guess would be early to mid 20th century. What state are you in?

Each state has recorded brands, these are available to the public. Used to be a brand book that you could look up the recorded owner, now days I haven't looked, but it might be on line.

 

[RGINN]

If your state had a Cattlemen's Association the brand should be registered with them. Do some research in that area. Cool find, too.

 

[Old Pueblo]

Diamond O Ranch?

 

[Audozer]

Thanks for the replies, I found it in gold country California. I plan on spending a little time trying to match it with something on record but I'm not optimistic

 

[T.C.]

Yup, I agree with everyone. I bought a bunch of 'em at an estate sale. They look pretty cool hangin' on the fence with all the rest of the junk! Good find!

 

[aa battery]

could be but it looks like Jeff of Pa old metal detector

 

[T.C.]

Here's a picture of the Adel Store, in Adel, Orygun. Notice the top part of the picture.

 

[Audozer]

Sorry T.C. I can't see the pic

EDIT: got it to work

 

[Old Pueblo]

Some interesting reading here:

California Brand History ? Welcome to the Dana Adobe

 

[Old Pueblo]

https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/AHFSS/Livestock_ID/pdfs/2010_Brand_Book/Forward.pdf

This will tell you a little more about what the "symbols" on the brand stand for and how to read it.

 

[BosnMate]

When reading a brand, if a number or letter is on it's side, it is said to be "lazy." So if a letter, say a B is on it's side, it's the "lazy B." Or if say an H is on it's side with a dash either to the side or bottom, it's the "lazy H bar." Now with that lesson, I'm going to show you folks one of the most famous brands in the west.


This brand is the "2 lazy 2 P." Sorry, every ranch kid in the west knows that one.