My Most Enigmatic Find from Weekend Hunt with Colonial Jersey Bandits

[Erik in NJ]

Had a great weekend in South Jersey getting together with NJLargeCent and GrantHansen (both of TNet)...we hunted some interesting properties and made a varied array of finds including coins, some great buttons, and interesting relics.

I found this enigmatic relic in a large field across from a church that we gained permission to. The finds in this field were sparse other than the plethora of Coke and Pepsi screw on caps and then I got a deep signal on my SE Pro. It read at 8" inches but I had to dig at least 12" to recover it. It's dimesions are approximately 3.5" long (including hinge), 1.5" tall, and 3" wide.

It appears to be a VERY (1.5 to 2 lb.) heavy hinged lid made of pewter with a beautiful floral motif on top. The first thing that came to mind was that it may have been the cover for a beer stein or a sugar dish, but the weight would seem to be quite oppressive for this application. It has some beautiful detail on it and I am posting it here first to try and get some opinions as to what it may have been part of.

I'll post a group post of my finds from the weekend and perhaps Grant will make a post of all the items we unearthed as a team. Regardless of the finds the company was great and we had a blast. One of the high points of the weekend for me was dining with the guys at an authentic English Fish & Chips House in the area that was fantastic.

Thanks for viewing.

 

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[granthansen]

I still think it's some type of lid for an exhaust pipe, perhaps off a train? I don't know. Wild guess.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

lid for a mug.

 

[huntsman53]

lid for a mug.

Now that must have been one heavy mug!


Frank

 

[Erik in NJ]

Now that must have been one heavy mug!


Frank

It certainly looks like a lid for a mug, but it is solid and thick pewter and it would have been quite heavy to lift such a mug (or sugar bowl, etc.). Does anyone have any provenance of any lids that had the heft that this one does? I'm assuming that this is a Colonial period item given the base metal and the patina and cracking of the metal. Hoping some Colonial experts will chime in with which half of the century it might have originated from.

Could it have been used on some sort of military related item ca the Rev. war years??

 

[rastinirv]

I got it! It was an outdoor covering for an 18th-century electrical outlet.

Oh, wait.... Never mind.

 

[Erik in NJ]

How about off a vent/pipe to a Colonial stove? It sure is old and massive for its size!

I still think it's some type of lid for an exhaust pipe, perhaps off a train? I don't know. Wild guess.

 

[Silver Searcher]

I think it's a oil lamp, based on the Roman styles of oil lamps....

SS

 

[johnnyblaze]

Nice find man

Looks real early..

Blaze

 

[Erik in NJ]

I think it's a oil lamp, based on the Roman styles of oil lamps....

SS

Funny, that was my first impression when I pulled it out of the ground--it does resemble an oil lamp for a "genie" , but I don't see anywhere that the flame would eminate from like in your picture.

 

[Silver Searcher]

Funny, that was my first impression when I pulled it out of the ground--it does resemble an oil lamp for a "genie" , but I don't see anywhere that the flame would eminate from like in your picture.

Well that rules that out then, but it does look very similar...strange.

SS

 

[granthansen]

Erik, take a look at the kettle on this colonial stove. Pretty burly if you ask me.

 

[BryanM362]

To me it looks like a fence, or stair post cap. Maybe the part that just out was connected to a hand rail?

 

[Erik in NJ]

Erik, take a look at the kettle on this colonial stove. Pretty burly if you ask me.

I'm starting to have my doubts that it has anything to do with a stove or a pipe at this point. It very much looks like the lid for a beer stein, but it's so massive that it doesn't really make sense.

 

[Erik in NJ]

There is pretty clear indication that the part that juts out and is broken was some sort of pivot for this cap to be moved from 0 to 90 degrees or so.

To me it looks like a fence, or stair post cap. Maybe the part that just out was connected to a hand rail?

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

That's a very strange and unusual find Erik. Please let us know what it is once you've determined the ID.

 

[Erik in NJ]

Will do Bill, but I was hoping you of all people might be able to provide some insight! If you don't know what it is it's gonna be a tough one to ID. What is your best guess on age given the substrate, condition, and motif?

Best, Erik

That's a very strange and unusual find Erik. Please let us know what it is once you've determined the ID.

 

[finderskeepers]

my 2 ¢ ... too ornate and relatively soft for any sort of outside application especially, involving heat. Items of pewter were more common with folks of means. It does seem to fit the profile of some sort of lid. With the proximity to the church,it may well be connected to them. Many of those ceremonial items are out of proportion compared to "regular" household versions. Just wondering if it was part of a ceremonial mug/chalice?? Don't know the name of the device , but how bout that utensil they put incense in and wave around the casket at a funeral?

 

[lastleg]

It's a peephole cover from a speakeasy.

 

[huntsman53]

I have been intrigued by the piece and checking back on this Thread to see if anyone could identify it. I have had this thought from the first time I read the posted Thread and saw the pics of the item, so I am going to go out on a far limb and throw this out there. Since much of New England down to Georgia including New Jersey, saw quite a bit of action during the Revolutionary War. Germans have long had an infinity with the use of Pewter, German/Prussian Soldiers fought on both sides during the war and Germans are sticklers when it comes to keeping their' equipment and weapons clean and pristine. Therefore, I am thinking that the item is a muzzle cover for a small German cannon to keep rain, dirt and debris out of the barrel.


Frank