Possible old Military Brooch? Please Help ID

[Markdb353]

Found this in Ponchatoula, La. Not sure what it is. It is light weight. Any help would be great! Thanks

 

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[Kray Gelder]

Interesting piece. I think that should come apart somehow. The top piece is covering up the pattern underneath, the leaves. Looks art deco, maybe?

 

[A2coins]

Holy moly that is really cool

 

[Markdb353]

I was thinking the same thing about the leaves, however it is all welded/soldiered together and does not separate.

 

[BenVa68]

Its construction doesn't seem to be modern. Nice find either way.

 

[Bruce R]

Doesn’t seem to be military, just an artsy brooch

 

[HuntinDog]

I think it is two brooches that someone put together as one.
It wouldn't make since to make the bottom part with the leaves and then cover them up....

 

[Holyground]

There have been many different organizations and orders throughout history. It may be a brooch that signifies a certain level of attainment. Many of these orgaizations are now defunct and gone forever. It would take some serious research to pinpoint it. It certainaly isn't a brooch used as costume jewlery, I would assume. It has some significance but I'll be darned if I have ever seen one. Nice find. Put it in the display case and maybe the answer will come.

 

[invent4hir]

Found this in Ponchatoula, La. Not sure what it is. It is light weight. Any help would be great! Thanks

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First off, this is a really great find! The catch on the back may help to date it. Although hard to tell from the picture, it could be a C-catch. If so, C-catches were in use from about 1850 to 1910 per the website. https://www.realorrepro.com/article/Dating-brooch-fasteners. The 2 attachments also came from there. Early safety catches appeared around 1890.

 

[Markdb353]

@ invent4hir - Wow, thanks for the information, very cool how the catch can help lead to an answer. Yes, I would agree that it is a C catch. Now if I could just figure out the meaning of the design, that would be a home run!!! Thanks again for your help.

 

[invent4hir]

@ invent4hir - Wow, thanks for the information, very cool how the catch can help lead to an answer. Yes, I would agree that it is a C catch. Now if I could just figure out the meaning of the design, that would be a home run!!! Thanks again for your help.

Here are two other thoughts: 1) In early October I found what turned out to be half a brooch. I posted it on TN and creskol did better than ID it, he provided a picture of a whole brooch. See http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/589931-possible-sash-buckle.html#post5950922. Turned out to be a mirror image. While not the same style as yours, it could be the same idea. 2) Beyond finding out more about your brooch, think about other artifacts you found near-by and any history there is of the property. That might provide some insight as to the meaning of the design and who might have originally owned the brooch. Good luck!

 

[DCMatt]

It is a woman's fashion brooch/sash pin. The style is 1880's - 90's.

There was a huge social nostalgia for the Civil War and a swell of American patriotism in the late 19th Century. That might explain the shield theme.

 

[jewelerguy]

a swell of American patriotism in the late 19th Century.

We could sure use some more of that today

 

[Plug N Play]

Check out "Victorian Mourning Brooch"

"In the history of the United Kingdom, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901."

"Mourning jewelry has been around since at least the 16th century, but it is widely associated with the Victorian Era, when mass production made it affordable. The trend reached its high point after the death of Prince Albert in 1861, when Queen Victoria, as well as members of her court, wore black clothing and matching mourning jewelry for decades."

"The strict Victorian protocols of mourning, along with Victorian mourning jewellery, began to ease after the death of Queen Victoria in 1901."

There is a huge variety of "mourning jewelry" and your piece may or may not be one.
Here's a couple pieces presented as "mourning brooches".