Copper 1870s Wedding ring? Army Camp near location of Crazy Horses death.

[jagchaser]

Copper 1870's Wedding ring? Army Camp near location of Crazy Horse's death.

I found a 1870's Indian wars camp in NW Nebraska that has not been opened up until 1990. Found some good stuff, but a few that leave me wondering.
Im wondering if that one is a copper homemade wedding ring. People on FB have suggested a grommet or some kind of washer for a spark plug. The piece is very delicate and will bend if you are not careful. It does have a seam on what would be the bottom side. It has no marks like it was tied to a string or like it was compressed like a washer would be. The area had ZERO trash newer than 1900, no aluminum, no pull tabs, no new slugs or casings. Absolutely nothing new. It was a cavalry camp in 1870-1880's in Northwestern Nebraska, staffed with mostly buffalo soldiers.

Im thinking the bottom piece in the pictures is a seal off of a champagne bottle or something?

 

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[doublet2a]

The ring looks like a copper sealing washer, still used today.
Scroll down and you will see some like yours.

copper sealing washers - Bing images

Tim

 

[Tony in SC]

I would say seal, maybe even early sparkplug seal. Tony

 

[DCMatt]

I have to agree with the others - spark plug crush washer.

You must consider that these old forts and camps were much like the Civil War battlefields in the east. Long after the war people came back to them to remember "the good ol' days". And they usually left a mess...

Is that crushed tube a tire valve stem cover/cap?

DCMatt

 

[Muddyhandz]

100% NOT a ring. I find 20+ of these every year and they are more flat than round, always have a seam in the middle, and are generally smaller than the average woman's band.
They show up at old relic hunting sites but more so at 20th century areas.
The bottom item is lead foil from the top and neck of a liquor bottle. I actually have a collection of these among many other things!

 

[jagchaser]

I have to agree with the others - spark plug crush washer.

You must consider that these old forts and camps were much like the Civil War battlefields in the east. Long after the war people came back to them to remember "the good ol' days". And they usually left a mess...

Is that crushed tube a tire valve stem cover/cap?

DCMatt

Ok, not a ring. If they had that kind of crush washers back then thats what it is. The thing about this place is there was NO trash, so I still don't think it is a spark plug washer. This place only opened up just recently, and the landowners from way back didn't let anyone on the place. Its bigger than any crush washers Ive seen, 21mm x 19mm inside. That piece that looks like something from a valve stem doesn't have any threads. Im not sure what to make of no threads.

 

[ScubaDetector]

I agree, not a ring to be worn. However, it could be a ring for a lot of different applications.

 

[pistol-pete]

Suspender clip

I'm supprised at some of these conclusions. These two middle parts are part of a suspender clip. We find them nearly on a weekly basis. The ring hooks on the little hook. Here is one of mine. I had also thought spark plug gasket. However in talking with other hunters and this one complete, we now now what they are. They are a hollow rolled ring, have a couple dozen.

 

[DCMatt]

I'm supprised at some of these conclusions. These two middle parts are part of a suspender clip. We find them nearly on a weekly basis. The ring hooks on the little hook. Here is one of mine. I had also thought spark plug gasket. However in talking with other hunters and this one complete, we now now what they are. They are a hollow rolled ring, have a couple dozen.

Very interesting observation Pete (and good to see a post from you BTW...).

I've never seen a suspender clip ring like that. Do you know if it has a seam on the back side like the originally posted relic? If so, I'd concede that it is a likely match.

About the size... I've been an antique car guy for decades and I can tell you that early spark plugs were much larger than today's.

These are from the 1930's. Note the size difference and the copper crush washers.

 

[gunsil]

Matt is correct, it wouldn't be uncommon for a spark plug crush washer to be the size the OP found. Not only that but there are many many different crush washers used in the automotive business. As a mechanic for 45 years I have used crush washers up to three inches in diameter. A "hollow rolled ring" is a crush washer.

 

[pistol-pete]

DCMatt, Tried to get that across. They DO have a seam on the back, hollow and folded into a round ring. All the same size. about 5/8"

 

[DCMatt]

I'll go with Pete on this one. Suspender clip ring. Here is another from a few years ago on Tnet:

 

[jagchaser]

I'm supprised at some of these conclusions. These two middle parts are part of a suspender clip. We find them nearly on a weekly basis. The ring hooks on the little hook. Here is one of mine. I had also thought spark plug gasket. However in talking with other hunters and this one complete, we now now what they are. They are a hollow rolled ring, have a couple dozen.View attachment 1289848

Thanks Pete! My picture doesn't show it well, but the piece to the right of the ring is some type of suspender clip. I took it to a friends and we flattened it out and he knew exactly what it was. I didn't realize the ring could have fit on a clip like that. I was fighting with the spark plug crush washer theory tooth and nail because of the site and the age of everything else I found there.

 

[Mintberrycrunch]

I found one too at a old site nice Id