goofing off bored or having a purpose?

[snaps]

Hi Everyone, found this in a camp. What I'm wonderin is, was the soldier making something he could use, or just bored? Looks like a gear to something? Gotta love the 2 for one's! Thanks for looking Snaps

 

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[Kray Gelder]

Is that a button bank? A secret hiding place button?

 

[snaps]

Kray, never thought of that.That suckers lodged in there good,now Im tempted to pry on piggy an see if something small an sweet rolls out!

 

[devldog]

Snaps, that is an unusual looking piece. You don't suppose that this could have been the top brass portion of a tomp ion for a musket barrel do you? The second picture looks similar to one that could have had the wood or cork insert removed and some sort of insert with a shank put in it's place. Soldiers were very clever in improvising things in the field or in camp. Just a thought. The tomp ion if I have spelled this right was the piece that a soldier would place in the end of his musket's barrel to keep dirt and water from entering the barrel of his musket.

 

[snaps]

Devldog, that's very Interesting.I could see him tying thread or string on the shank to aide in pulling it out of the barrel. Similiar to bullets they would use when lost there nipple protectors. Sorry for lack of measurements, the piece is about 7/8 wide, and 3/16 thick with a hole in the center.Thanks Snaps

 

[RustyGold]

Maybe used as a game piece for checkers or chess.

 

[devldog]

........another strong possibility.

 

[rick67]

Looks like part of a whale oil lantern. Did you get the button out of it yet?

 

[snaps]

Thanks for replies, Rusty gold yea that would make a good gaming piece, rick I think your rite about it being a lantern part. I decided against taking the button out, its merged so well, and then I'd have a lantern part an a flat button not a unique piece