Heavy brass rectangle with "MS" cut into it

[jhamner]

Hello,
I posted this item I found yesterday on Todays Finds, but except for a very kind Professor of Engineering, I have gotten no responses. I do not blame anyone because this is a tough I.D,. but I thought maybe by moving it here someone may recognize it.
The item is 3" by 1 3/8" and counting the lettering about 1/4" thick. It weighs 5.1 ounces and the background has been painted black. There are no signs of attachment hooks or anything else. The edges are tapered. That's about all I know about it at this point. Thanks for looking.

 

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[jhamner]

I bet it was a door sign that was longer, with more letters originally. Maybe the last two letters were from "RESTROOMS"?

Possibly, but all four sides are tapered, suggesting that it hasn't been cut off or broken.

 

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[jhamner]

Good to see your still around

I sent you a pm

 

[jhamner]

You ever hunted around Slate Hill?

Never have--any good places around there? I will send you a pm.

 

[stewielouie]

You ever hunted around Slate Hill?

Metal detected at the church at slate hill, and lots of places reasonable close by. Bottle hunted all around it in my youth and most likely everything within a 5 mile radius of it. Some big pieces of woods behind it and just over the hill from it towards Blenheim. Lots of old house places.

 

[jhamner]

Metal detected at the church at slate hill, and lots of places reasonable close by. Bottle hunted all around it in my youth and most likely everything within a 5 mile radius of it. Some big pieces of woods behind it and just over the hill from it towards Blenheim. Lots of old house places.

Sounds intresting! My daughter-in-law's sister runs Blenheim Vineyard-maybe she knows some good spots.

 

[Red-Coat]

You could try an image search at the US Patent and Trademark office.
However, in my experience, that tends to lead you down a long rabbit hole with little success.

My guess is it's a nameplate for some sort of heavy, industrial-type machine.
Something meant to take a lot of abuse and withstand the test of time.
I don't think it's a branding-iron, a marking punch, or anything like that. (?)

Sounds like a definite possibility to me!

I had already checked for US trademark registrations, but there are no registrations for 'MS' in that style... current or lapsed.

It can't have been intended as a marking punch in a conventional way, because it would produce and impression reading 'SM' with a backwards 'S'... although that doesn't negate the possibility of it being a 'forming die' (ie something in thin sheet being laid on it and then hammered to create a raised impression from below. Pretty unlikely though.

I would think the fact that it has black paint (or enamel or whatever) on the low relief portions says it was intended to be shown/displayed 'as-is'. Belt buckle adornment would make sense unless it's too heavy for that.

 

[Gambrinus]

There was a trade school near us--Miller School--but I have never seen or heard of these being made there.

It could be a "one off" when I went to "Metal Shop" class I made many different items using the foundry. The shop had patterns that could be used or we could make our own, also there were a variety of letters in different fonts. It is possible that this was a student's initials or initials of his girlfriend.

 

[GoldieLocks]

Couldn't it be a cattle brand? Or printing ink typesetting letters?

 

[Red-Coat]

Couldn't it be a cattle brand? Or printing ink typesetting letters?

Unilkely. As I said, it would produce an imprint of 'SM' but with a backwards 'S'.

 

[jhamner]

I had already checked for US trademark registrations, but there are no registrations for 'MS' in that style... current or lapsed.

It can't have been intended as a marking punch in a conventional way, because it would produce and impression reading 'SM' with a backwards 'S'... although that doesn't negate the possibility of it being a 'forming die' (ie something in thin sheet being laid on it and then hammered to create a raised impression from below. Pretty unlikely though.

I would think the fact that it has black paint (or enamel or whatever) on the low relief portions says it was intended to be shown/displayed 'as-is'. Belt buckle adornment would make sense unless it's too heavy for that.

Thanks so much for checking--I hadn't gotten around to that! I received an email from the headmaster at Miller School near me, and he thinks it may be a one of a kind project from their machine shop way back in time. Looks and fels like a personalized paperweight to me now that i think about it. Thanks so much for your help!

 

[jhamner]

It could be a "one off" when I went to "Metal Shop" class I made many different items using the foundry. The shop had patterns that could be used or we could make our own, also there were a variety of letters in different fonts. It is possible that this was a student's initials or initials of his girlfriend.

I think you are right on--I got an email from the headmaster at Miller School and he thinks it was someone's class project--perhaps a paperweight. thanks for sharing this information!

 

[jhamner]

Couldn't it be a cattle brand? Or printing ink typesetting letters?

Possibly so. I got an email from Miller School near me and they think it was a one of a kind shop project from their school--possibly a buckle or paperweight. Thanks for your input though--it could well be what you are saying.

 

[jhamner]

Couldn't it be a cattle brand? Or printing ink typesetting letters?

Possibly so.....or a paperweight from someone's shop project. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!