Navy Anchor- UPDATED! Then there were Three

[Don in SJ]

Been googling for awhile and deadending, trying to determine the era of this device and what it might have originally been made for.

The two rivet like pins on the one side seem to be original, and the 4 holes were hand punched at a later time most likely to attach it to something wooden like a chest I suppose, but was that also the original purpose or was it something else.


It is approx 2.5 inches long
Don

 

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

Re: Navy Anchor

The fouled anchor certainly looks U.S.Navyish.

Could have been on anything from the Cheif Petty Officer's sea trunk to a wall decoration for home??

 

[nhbenz]

Re: Navy Anchor

Interesting find. Don't rule out English applications, as we "borrowed" the fouled anchor from them.

 

[Montana Jim]

Re: Navy Anchor

I agree with you guys... could be military, sudo-military, or civilian related. It's use? No idea...

 

[trk5capt]

Re: Navy Anchor

Just A Shot In The Dark Here, But It Could Be A Shoulder Belt Plate From A NAVY Sword. trk5capt...

 

[DCMatt]

Re: Navy Anchor

This is a tough one. Could have been attached to anything...

Odd to me that the original rivets are off-center.

The punched holes being close together (like button holes) make me think it was sewn onto something later.

The fouled anchor has been used by pretty much anybody who has had anything to do with ships for the past 500 years.

Gee, I guess I didn't help much...

DCMatt

 

[Don in SJ]

Re: Navy Anchor

Just A Shot In The Dark Here, But It Could Be A Shoulder Belt From A NAVY Sword. trk5capt...

I think you are on to something and that is the direction I am looking into right now.

Don

 

[dugupfinds]

Re: Navy Anchor

Origin - Not a British looking Anchor.

Era - Victorian looking.

Use - On leather. Later re-used onto wood. The 4 pin holes had tacks hammered throu them into the wood. Not neccessarily military as the Anchor was a common decorative piece on buttons etc... The pattern on the outside would lead me to think its less likely to be Military.

 

[jopher]

Re: Navy Anchor

Don ,
Lance(Comfyinvermont),and I have both found the identicle piece.His ,however had another piece that attatched somehow,leading him to believe it was some sort of buckle.If I remember right, he had a theory that it was some keepsake that a sailors gal might have while he was away at sea?I tried ,unsuccessfully to find the post where he and I were comparing notes..Try PMing him.He may have found out more over the winter.....Joe


http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,62601.msg450854.html#msg450854

 

[psgen]

Re: Navy Anchor

Sweet Find...... I don't have a clue as to what it is though, but I have a thought on how we maybe able to identify it. I'm a Disabled American Veteran and belong to the local D.A.V. chapter. I will take the photo to our next meeting (15 May 07) and ask some of the older Naval veterans their thought and opinions on it, perhaps they can help us identify it.

Psgen

 

[Don in SJ]

Re: Navy Anchor

With three anchor devices being found in three different parts of the country, I would think now there is enough here to help be able to positively ID what the use of the device was. Most agree mid to late 1800's based on the scroll work around the perimeter and if you go to Lance's post from his Christmas Day hunt finds, you will see, as I have included in this post a combined photo of all three, that Lance's had an extra "decorative" piece attached.
Lance's post:
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,62601.msg450854.html#msg450854


Now, Lance, we would love to see the reverse side of yours, and I must ask, why you think possibly a buckle?

Jopher, did you notice that your anchor has the two rivets on the opposite side? Makes you think that there was a left and a right for whatever it was used on.

So, before I saw Lance's post, I sent my photo's to Mark Parker at W&E magazine and I received my reply on Saturday, his answer was, "I don't know" Yikes, not what I was hoping for.. So, I am reopening the post and hoping some more brainstorming on what the device was, it sure seem to lean more towards civilian side now that the extra piece was there, unless it was Military for perhaps ceremonial device decoration, which is very possible.

Don

 

[SimonLakeSub]

In my opinion, It was used as a decorative piece to a small chest or trunk. A great find!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Simon

 

[PBK]

I forwarded the photos to a couple of professional militaria and antiquities appraisers. Neither could identify the item; but, interestingly, both suggested that it might be part of a clasp or cover ornament from a large volume, album, or presentation case of some sort— something, I would guess, along the lines of those shown on the left side in the photo below: