Found at gold mining site. What is it?

[dagaro17]

This thing is from a gold mining site in Northern California (1850's - 1930's). I can't find any information on what this might have been. It is broken on both ends. On the right side of the top photo and the left side of the bottom the metal is curled back as if from an explosion. It says: T H GARDINER CAST STEEL and then the number 2. Above are the initials H.J. I'm not sure if the initials were cast when the item was made or added later by the owner. I hope someone knows what it is.

 

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[Upnorth42]

Remains of a harmonica?

 

[DizzyDigger]

Did some searches and came up with bupkis.....BUT

My own thoughts are that it was part a shovel, specifically part of
the hollow tube that connects the shovel to the handle.

Whatever it was, it was important enough to someone that they had
their initials engraved into it.

 

[ArfieBoy]

I agree with DizzyDigger. That is the first thing that came to my mind when I first saw it.

 

[tamrock]

Indeed a man's shovel was an important and valuable asset in those days and you would definitely wanna tag it. At one time an Ames shovel was as good as gold.

Ames shovels were shipped to every part of the United States and to the far corners of the world — gold mines in Australia and diamond mines in South Africa. In the Mississippi Valley, an Ames shovel was considered so valuable that it was declared to be legal tender, accepted in lieu of cash.

 

[Iron Buzz]

Remains of a harmonica?

A case hardened steel harmonica? Doubt it.

 

[Iron Buzz]

This thing is from a gold mining site in Northern California (1850's - 1930's). I can't find any information on what this might have been. It is broken on both ends. On the right side of the top photo and the left side of the bottom the metal is curled back as if from an explosion. It says: T H GARDINER CAST STEEL and then the number 2. Above are the initials H.J. I'm not sure if the initials were cast when the item was made or added later by the owner. I hope someone knows what it is.
View attachment 1848170
View attachment 1848171

Not sure it means much, but I believe that is "CASE STEEL", not "CAST STEEL", meaning "case hardened steel".

 

[dagaro17]

Thanks everyone. I think the shovel thing makes a lot of sense. It's the right size and the right curve on the bottom. I wonder how it broke the way it did? Normally the wood handle breaks on a shovel and the metal of this piece is very hard. It's the only thing I have found with writing on it that I can't find out a single thing about online. Anyways, happy hunting everyone.

 

[galenrog]

There was a Gardiner Mfg Co, I think in upstate New York, that was made several items from sheet steel. This item may be from something they made.

Time for more coffee.

 

[dave wiseman]

Like the others have written it's part of a # 2 shovel..the real old shovels had a wider blade than todays tools.

 

[Raider19962]

This site often amazes me. By asking a question like this you tap into the life experiences of all the members who happen to read your post, sort of like a "hive mind" experience. Maybe someone here happens to have seen such a thing at some point in their life, happens to remember it, and you gain knowledge from it. We've become "Borg-like", a shared memory thing. Sorta. Without the mechanical attachments and Star Fleet hassles.

 

[Raider19962]

Indeed a man's shovel was an important and valuable asset in those days and you would definitely wanna tag it. At one time an Ames shovel was as good as gold.

Ames shovels were shipped to every part of the United States and to the far corners of the world — gold mines in Australia and diamond mines in South Africa. In the Mississippi Valley, an Ames shovel was considered so valuable that it was declared to be legal tender, accepted in lieu of cash.

Oddly enough, my son once went to an "Odyssey-of-the-Mind" competition at the Ames shovel factory in Ames, Iowa!

 

[dagaro17]

Raider19962: I hear what you are saying. The collective knowledge on this site is incredible. I'm sure there are a lot of long time detectorists on this site that had to go to the library or a museum to find out info on an unknown object before the internet. I have a lot of respect for that. We've got it easy by comparison nowadays although there is still a lot of value in library and museum research.

 

[Raider19962]

Yeah, it usually only takes a day or so before someone has a lead on an unknown thingy. This is a valuable resource!

 

[Oroblanco]

Did some searches and came up with bupkis.....BUT

My own thoughts are that it was part a shovel, specifically part of
the hollow tube that connects the shovel to the handle.

Whatever it was, it was important enough to someone that they had
their initials engraved into it.

View attachment 1848189

Bingo give that man a cigar!