Need some help from the relic guys please.

[The Fog]

Hello! I've been hunting cellar holes, farmfields, colonial sites etc for about 3 or 4 years now, one of my most recent finds is very peculiar and was hoping someone may have seen or found something like this.

To me it appears to be a crude ring but it doesn't really make sense. If it were a ring it would have to be extremely old, well before colonial era. It's not cast, it looks to be hammered, it's heavy, I'd estimate about an ounce, I hit a small area with the Lesche and the metal looks like lead or a lead alloy, but it is very strong, not something you could easily bend without a hammer, and there is one spot that has been dug out. I suppose maybe a child was trying to make a ring, or maybe some piece of machinery, I'm perplexed... any guesses?

It was an extremely deep target at 14 inches. It was found on the Northern Massachusetts coast in the woods near a stone wall.

 

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[A/CMan]

To me it looks like a homemade ring, 14" deep WOW it looks to big to be a woman's ring , who knows it could have been a bored civil war making it at a camp site, HH acman

 

[creskol]

A few things I notice: 1. the hole is tapered 2) the rim on one side is sorta rounded while the rim on the other side is flat. 3) the slot faces the flat side.
Based on these observations, my guess is that it is not a finger ring. I would bet that it is a candle holder of some sort, whereby the candle would have sat in the taper, and the flat side was the bottom, and the slot fit over a flat bracket or stem of some sort. Might have had a handle attached to it.

If it isn't a candle holder, I am not sure, but it was definitely made to slip on a tapered pole or a candle or something of that nature.

 

[DCMatt]

I agree with creskol - not a finger ring. Possibly an attempt to repair/replace the ring on a chamberstick?


DCMatt

 

[A/CMan]

I'm going with y'all fellars!

 

[timekiller]

A little odd for me & tough to make a call.But I can see it sure has some age look to it.Easily looks like a colonial type item,with the patina build up & overall look.So I'll just add that they were finger rings that looked simular to yours as you can see here...............
UK Finds Database - - - UKDFD

and here............................
Jewelry

Now I also believe they would or have used handle parts for rings as well.As seen with this one I found pic below...................I think they would have made use of any thing that could have another use.Mine I think would have maybe been off a pair of wick trimmers sorta like this..................

UK Finds Database - - - UKDFD

Or something along that line with the silver wash would make no sense to me to through something away as such during those times when it clearly could have another purpose.Also no other remains were found after clearing the site out of any other use for my piece.Just some thoughts.IMHO
Take Care,
Pete,

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Of interest sometimes old candle holder rings are made into corn huskers. http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/143277-might-tough.html

 

[High Plains Digger]

Why I don't think it is a finger ring? The band is incredibly thick, which makes it amazingly uncomfortable to wear. Find some one with the appropriately sized finger and ask him. After he answers, be sure to give him a vigorous, very firm handshake.

 

[The Fog]

Thanks guys for taking the time to look at the images and offer feedback, I appreciate that. AC man I thought it could be a crude homemade ring as well, but as creskol noted one side is rounded while the other side is flat, so that kind of throws a cog in the ring theory I guess. Time Killer I had previously looked through the UK database ( I have that site bookmarked... what a wealth of information and images there! Thanks for posting the links.), I did see some images that matched fairly closely in the jewelry/ring section, but you have to go back to 3rd and 4th century to find jewelry of such rudimentary design, and I doubt something of that age would be found in Massachusetts. The handle for a chamberstick seems like a plausible solution but I don't see any markings on how it would have been attached. I suppose it's just a sniglet someone hand made to repair something in the mid 1600's - 1700's (judging from other items I ordinarily find in that location at that depth.) Thanks for the input folks.

 

[A/CMan]

There are a lot of knowledgeable people we are all here do our best to help one another that's really makes this hobby great, welling to share, what ever it is it's cool ! HH acman Tim