Metal Plate?

[GetBusyDiggin]

Found this today. Not sure if its an old plate or just a piece of scrap. Kinda thinking its copper due to its greenness. Could possibly be brass.

 

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[GetBusyDiggin]

Also will add it was found next to a civil war fort where I've found 3 ringer bullets before.

 

[smokeythecat]

I think it's a plate. I would NOT dispose of it. Neat item.

 

[bradyboy]

bowl?
Brady

 

[P.ALLEN]

cannon plug? ashtray? Dr's tray?

 

[taz42o]

May have been tinned.
Have a look at this site, confederate tinned copper plate.


Blockade Runner Civil War Sutler Suttlery Page 26 Tin ware, cups plates boilers muckets. 1-25-17

 

[Beshires1]

Yeah, its a tinned Civil War copper mess plate. I found one at a old CS campsite in a area of Mississippi Near Water Valley, that saw a lot of troop movement and a few skirmishes. My Plate was about 12 inches down. Yours is in a lot better shape than mine, as you will see from my photo.

 

[trdking]

Very cool, does it have a maker stamp on the bottom? That could help your quest of discovery

 

[HuntinDog]

Found one of those a few years back and always wondered what it was.
Looked like a cover plate to a wall stove pipe.
Now I need to find it and give it a closer look.
Might be a really neat find after all.

 

[GetBusyDiggin]

Thanks for all the help. Sounds like it's either a mess plate or a stove pipe cover. I'm hoping for the mess plate. I'll try cleaning a little more to see if there is any ID markings.

 

[bradyboy]

did they make deep plates?
seems more like a shallow bowl
Brady

 

[A2coins]

That is really cool

 

[Beshires1]

I don't think these had a makers mark or any mark for that matter. Seems to be kinda slipped into Confederate hands. Sorta a mind thing that we have tinned copper dishes , you have a rusty tin dish. Then again why aren't more being found, like by the hundreds? Were they only for officers? I don't think soldiers at that time left much behind, carrying every possession, no matter how meager into battle with them. Most likely, carrying their possessions with them until the wars end, or their untimely demise. I think its safe to say that if a soldier lost a weapon, or his only possessions he probably was no longer around to look for them. Its apparent that after a battle no clean-up crews were sent in to tidy up. Look at all the artifacts found on the battlefield at Shiloh. May be the surviving soldiers had orders to bury everything where they found it. No one knows for sure. I read somewhere that the hospitals back then, looted the dying solders few possessions, taking everything of value from the dying soldiers, whom they buried nearby, and items of no value were discarded, you know the stuff I'm referring to. like a soldiers mess plate.

 

[GetBusyDiggin]

How do we know its not a stove pipe cover?

 

[Beshires1]

How do we know its not a stove pipe cover?

A Stove pipe cover is ...well a beauty ring, to cover the cracks in the wall, or ceiling where the pipe or flue exits the room. http://thriftyrebelvintage.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/stove-pipe-frame-2.jpg A stove pipe cap is just that a cap to block off a stove pipe. http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/1000/f6/f6457f90-8197-4130-bae6-6a7d42435adc_1000.jpg. There really is nothing on a stovepipe that resembles a mess plate. Repurposed stove pipe covers can look plate like by adding a backing to fill the hole where the pipe fits thru to make it appear plate like. https://www.picclickimg.com/d/l400/...e-English-16-Chimney-Flu-Stove-Pipe-Cover.jpg . Although some flue hole covers look plate like they will have holes drilled into them. https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71vBHybT2PL._SY355_.jpg . If it looks like a mess plate it probably is. Civil War mess plates are turning up every where around battle fields and skirmish sites. Mine was like many others found, in such bad shape that I almost left it in the woods.

 

[GetBusyDiggin]

Good News! I think you have me convinced. Especially because mine was found near a CW fort. Thanks for the info. That was a lot of help. It will display nice along side my other CW artifacts.

 

[GetBusyDiggin]

Good News! I think you have me convinced. Especially because mine was found near a CW fort. Thanks for the info. That was a lot of help. It will display nice along side my other CW artifacts.

 

[1320]

Have you given this any thought?

 

[GetBusyDiggin]

It's a possibility. I think most milk can tops have holes on the sides and sometimes another ring protrusion in the inside. The "plate" has no holes or other fabrications on either side. Thanks for the tip.