Found a Pair of These Today--Never Seen One Before

[Erik in NJ]

Hi, Went out hunting today with a friend and we both found one of these items. Mine seems to have cleaned up quite nicely, but I have no idea what it is or what it might have been used for. I'm hoping someone here can ID it. Thanks in advance!

Best, Erik

 

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[Roger Mn.]

I doubt it's a colonial stopper for a powder horn. They carved there own out of cow horns and boiled them to make it soft to carve and made wooden plugs to fit the whole. The whole would have been bigger than the brass piece found. Also to heavy.

 

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[Erik in NJ]

Anyone here good at searching the UK Finds Database? There might be some clues there.

 

[granthansen]

I'm anxiously awaiting the SOLVED indication for this find. Very interesting!

 

[NJLargeCent]

I'm the friend of Erik's that found the identical item. I took some measurements (see also scale pic below):
Overall circumference: 19mm (.75 in.)
Inner circumference of lip: 14 mm
Outside circumference of lip: 16 mm
Height (finial to loop): 16 mm

Thanks for all of the ID info/comments.

 

[Erik in NJ]

I'm the friend of Erik's that found the identical item. I took some measurements (see also scale pic below):
Overall circumference: 19mm (.75 in.)
Inner circumference of lip: 14 mm
Outside circumference of lip: 16 mm
Height (finial to loop): 16 mm

Thanks for all of the ID info/comments.
View attachment 725671

Hi NJLC, Thanks for posting the measurements! I think you mean "diameter" as opposed to "circumference" though, no? Can you provide the OD (outside diameter) of the lip closest to the disc as opposed to furthest away from it (as it appears to bevel inward)? Also the height of the lip would be an important measurement. Thanks!

 

[NJLargeCent]

Sorry, EiNJ, yes I meant diameter, not circ.! Height of lip is 2mm. OD of lip is 16mm (inside is 14mm). If I am confusing which measurements you want, apologies again!

 

[Erik in NJ]

Sorry, EiNJ, yes I meant diameter, not circ.! Height of lip is 2mm. OD of lip is 16mm (inside is 14mm). If I am confusing which measurements you want, apologies again!

Hi - I was just wondering how much the lip is bevelled--best way to measure that is to measure the OD of the lip at the base and then again at the top. It looks like the difference is a couple of mm. Thanks J

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Anyone here good at searching the UK Finds Database? There might be some clues there.

Silver Searcher may be

 

[Erik in NJ]

Here's a thought as to how this object may have been held in place. Notice the shank is essentially flat on these objects. The bevelled lip (bevelled on the outside) would fit into a mating hole in a neck that was bevelled on the inside. A bit further down in the neck (below the reach of the lip) could have been situated a piece of sheet metal containing a slot that fit the protruding shank. The plug would then always had the same orientation of 0 or 180 degrees . Then a pin could have been placed in from the side to hold this plug in place. If it was simply a chain attached to the shank, there would have been no need for it (the shank) to be flat and a loop could simply have been soldered on like a button. Just a thought...

 

[Kiros32]

Hey guys, I posted this http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/286213-found-while-ago-still-unidentified.html

Interesting that more of these have been found! I took some measurements, perhaps it will help:

Diameter: 19.15 mm
Top to Bottom of Loop: 15.42 mm

Looking forward to the ID on this. Thanks guys.

 

[NJLargeCent]

Thanks, Kiros32, yes I saw that link to your find--same exact item--above in this thread. Hope we get a definitive ID.

 

[SwampCreek]

Probably way off base, but it looks to me like it may be part of some type of clothing snap.

 

[Erik in NJ]

Kiros32, NJLC,

I don't have digital calipers handy, but by eye, I am getting

Disc diameter: 19mm
Lip base OD: 15mm
Lip top OD: 14mm
Lip height: 2mm

Observations:

The outside of the lip is bevelled and is the business side. It must have mated with a complementary part. The outer lip and bottom & sides of the disc have been milled on a lathe for precision and that's probably why we are all getting the same measurements. The shank and concave inside of the lip are cast. The top has been milled and polished to remove the mill marks--the knob has also been milled. The shank is flat and approx 2mm in thickness. A hole has been drilled through the shank just clear of the lip.

It appears this is a "precision" machined brass part that took some time to make by a skilled craftman and not merely a cast lid of sorts. It's definitely not part of a snap and very unlikely that it was sewn to cloth or clothing.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

So it was made to fit tight? Wouldnt the beveled edge facillitate a tight fit?

 

[Erik in NJ]

So it was made to fit tight? Wouldnt the beveled edge facillitate a tight fit?

Well let's say that it was made to fit snug with little to no play. A pin through the shank would probably have held it in place. I suppose the bevelled lip could have been used to accomodate variances in the mating piece, but then a pin would probably not have been used to hold it in place. I don't see any evidence of a chain being attached to it. Could it have been used to keep a gun barrel dry? 15mm translates to 59 or 60 caliber I believe...does that match any known guns? I don't know if a gun barrel would have been pierced near the end for a pin to hold something like this in place. Thoughts?

 

[Chug And Red]

I hard to tell from your Picture so for clarifcation is the Item one solid item or does the Round ball fit into the other peice/ does it move independently

 

[Kiros32]

Solid piece

 

[Kiros32]

I dont it doesnt add much, but this is my original post from 2010.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/176794-small-brass-clasp-button.html

 

[Erik in NJ]

I dont it doesnt add much, but this is my original post from 2010.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/176794-small-brass-clasp-button.html

I think the closest thing I've seen from the old threads was that it looks to be part of an "Irish Powder Measure"...was this theory thrown out? Not sure how such a measure worked. Seems that there should be examples on the UK Finds Database....anyone good at look-ups there?

 

[DCMatt]

Hmmm... As one of my Pakistani colleagues used to say, "I am just loud thinking..."





DCMatt