Large lead disc with letters

[NEPADIGGER7]

Looks like it says GrAPE in the middle and it's made of lead. Also other letters but can't make much out.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Treasure of Victoria Peak - Grab it through Amazon!

[vhs07]

Did they make grape snuff? We use to melt lead into Skoal can lids. This looks about that size. Just a thought.

 

[NEPADIGGER7]

It's larger that a skoal straight can it just verified that lol

 

[nhbenz]

It reminds me of an advertising paperweight which metal companies used to give to customers.

 

[mcl]

Second line following the curve at the top says "KING POWDER" I believe. Something might have preceded "king".

 

[Rawhide]

Found something like this. Was told it was a curtain weight. But mine did not seem to have letters on it. Very cool.

 

[NEPADIGGER7]

I'm not sure it was found around a site that we found a 3 cent silver a 1/2 reale a SLQ and 10 1/2 large cents dating from 1818-1848

 

[trikikiwi]

I'm sure I can see 'POWDER', preceded by an ...'ING' - so I'm picking either 'WASHING POWDER' or 'BAKING POWDER', then maybe something like 'AAA GRADE'.
I think I can be certain of some of the letters against the top edge (pic#1) but Í won't confuse the search by listing them -
and on the lower edge ......'RE'

Hope this helps.
Cheers, Mike

Edit:I just noticed mcl is on track first

 

[Rawhide]

I have seen lead used with a wire to seal a can top. Maybe this is part of a seal also.

 

[mcl]

I'm sure I can see 'POWDER', preceded by an ...'ING' - so I'm picking either 'WASHING POWDER' or 'BAKING POWDER', then maybe something like 'AAA GRADE'.
I think I can be certain of some of the letters against the top edge (pic#1) but Í won't confuse the search by listing them -
and on the lower edge ......'RE'

Hope this helps.
Cheers, Mike

Edit:I just noticed mcl is on track first

Mike is right on the "RE". Enhancing the image reveals most of a "U" preceding the "RE" -- 99% sure that means the last word on the line spanning the bottom edge was "PURE".

 

[mcl]

Here is an enhanced contrast image. Might help in figuring this one out.



OP, you could also do a couple more things to try to make anything else out. First, you could try to scrub the orange areas with a toothbrush (not a wire brush!) to remove some of the corrosion. Second, try putting a piece of paper over it and run over it with a pencil. This might trace some otherwise hard to see features.

Just for the sake of making sure we're heading down the right track, what led you to the conclusion that this is made of lead? Weight/softness? Definitely not saying you're wrong, just want to make sure it is indeed lead since I'm having trouble finding pictures of baking powder can lids explicitly identified as lead. I might be wrong about it being a baking powder can lid, so that might be the problem as well

 

[vhs07]

After searching thru the first 4 pages on EBay's "vintage baking powder tins" and looking at the lids, there's no doubt for me that this is one, I just cant find this particular one. Also what is posted is a piece of lead that was melted into a metal lid of a baking powder can.

 

[Patriot Relics]

Interesting find, given it was "custom made" made it may be a lead poker/gaming chip.

 

[trikikiwi]

I've done a bit more research on Baking Powder manufacturers in relation to the few identifiable letters I can see on the upper ledge (pic#1) and I am positive I have identified the name as CLEVELAND'S SUPERIOR.

I have yet to find an exact example of the lid - and I would really like to see the lid on this tin,

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/270567890085421790/
but they seemed to have used a variety of styles of labels.

 

[NEPADIGGER7]

That's awesome thanks for puttin the time in. I'm just stumped it's really cool lookin though. A lead top for baking powder lol that's safe. Boy our ancestors just didn't think sometimes but then again they may have no even know lead was dangerous.

 

[NEPADIGGER7]

I'm gonna do what MCL asked me to do today. I will post as soon as im done this afternoon! Thank you for the help

 

[mcl]

That's awesome thanks for puttin the time in. I'm just stumped it's really cool lookin though. A lead top for baking powder lol that's safe. Boy our ancestors just didn't think sometimes but then again they may have no even know lead was dangerous.

I had a similar thought at first but i think VHS07 is right about it just being lead someone cast inside the lid from a baking powder tin. No lid has the physical structure of that lead piece. Why did they do it? Vmiairpwr guessed maybe to make a poker chip. Possible. Could have been boredom. Could have been a quick way to consolidate lead scrap. Who knows.

For the sake of context though, the can it was casted from dates to no earlier than 1874 and my guess is pre-1900 based on what Trikiwiki found.

Your piece tells the quirky story of a person who probably lived over a century ago who had a whole lot of lead sitting around. What did they do with it? Melted it into an empty baking powder can. Then they lost it or tossed it, and you dug it up decades later. Very cool, really.

 

[DCMatt]

I've done a bit more research on Baking Powder manufacturers in relation to the few identifiable letters I can see on the upper ledge (pic#1) and I am positive I have identified the name as CLEVELAND'S SUPERIOR.

I have yet to find an exact example of the lid - and I would really like to see the lid on this tin,

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/270567890085421790/
but they seemed to have used a variety of styles of labels.

I think trikkiwi is on the mark. I was looking for Cleveland Company (not Superior). It may be an advertising token. I saw a few from other companies.

Apparently baking powder was BIG business and BIG political trouble @ the turn of the 20th C. Read about "the baking powder controversy" and "Baking powder trust" from that time period.

I was also trying to figure out "GRAPE". Well, baking powder contains cream of tartar which is made from grapes. Who knew?

Very interesting piece.

DCMatt

 

[nhbenz]

I'd been working on the brand, noting the "UP" in superior.
The "URE" may be the tail end of their motto "Pure and Sure".
It looks to me like someone used this lead for soldering, given the marks which I'd at first mistakenly thought was supposed to be an orange slice pattern.

 

[DCMatt]

1891 Cleveland Baking Powder bookmark advert: