Shoulder Board?

[surf]

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Good afternoon, TreasureNet,

I dug this about four years ago in a ravine dump that was producing material from about 1880 to 1920. My guess is that it is some sort of ceremonial shoulder board. Whether it is military or civilian, or, in fact, a shoulder board, I do not know.

My fuzzy memory says it measures about 2-1/4 or 2-1/2 inches X 3-1/2 or 4 inches. I do not have it in hand just now. It is in a box of odds & ends around here somewhere.

I'd be interested in your thoughts and opinions on this piece, as it's stumped the band in these parts...

 

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[DCMatt]

1970's fishscale belt.



DCMatt

 

[surf]

Hello Matt,

Nah, I don't think so. I hated Disco and would never bring a disco artifact home. This was an old dump. I was first attracted to it when I noticed a backhoe on the lot.

This kinda stuff was on the surface. I start paying real close attention with the ash and 19th Century cone inks and other such clues are so close to the surface.

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I'm setting the stage here with some of the first glimpses I got of this site.

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Further down the line were these bits.

After a walk around dirt survey, I was jumping up and down in the inner digger dome. I only had camera with me on that first visit to the site. I picked up the goodies that were just laying there, and rushed home for shovels & scratchers.

Then I started to dig.

 

[surf]

Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library: Costume

Some sort of fraternal regalia?

 

[Broken knee]

How long did it take to dig that hole mister? HH
BK

 

[surf]

Hey BK,

That part about 4-5 months of off and on digging. I'm a pretty slow and deliberate digger. That spot was loaded. I dug the site for about 2-1/2 years. It's now under a high school football stadium & track complex. Still loaded with goodies. Layer after layer. The "shoulder board" came outta the wall just below the handle of that spade.

 

[DCMatt]

Your pics do put a different spin on this relic. I still don't think it is a shoulder board or epaulette. It looks like part of a belt to me.

DCMatt

 

[Moonrover]

Your pics do put a different spin on this relic. I still don't think it is a shoulder board or epaulette. It looks like part of a belt to me.

DCMatt

Rather interesting no matter what it is. At least we can pretty much narrow it down to some sort of decorative accessory. Does not look sturdy enough to be part of machinery.

Is the back chain linking a clue to age? Appears that it was at least copper plated. Green oxidation on the face. If this was an epaulette, it would hang awkwardly such as always falling forward or backward off the shoulder unless it had a bottom attaching pin or something.

May not be intended as a clothing decoration at all. Could it have been part of a dangly edge of a lampshade? Back in the twenties, some really goofy looking lamps were designed.

M

 

[surf]

Thanks Matt, for the second look.

Moonrover, I'm pretty sure the "scales" are copper. I believe the end portion to be brass, but I'm a metal dunce. I believe it once was gilt, but the soil has dissolved the finish. The level that it was found was pre-electric...

I'm pretty much a bottle digger, but I do come across some interesting metal stuff, every once in a while. This hole had some most interesting pieces.

 

[surf]

Just trying to get some more eyeballing on this piece...

 

[Moonrover]

Just trying to get some more eyeballing on this piece...

Ewwww. ... is that .... a glass eye? Creeps me out to think I could dig up something like that someday.

M

 

[surf]

Ewwww. ... is that .... a glass eye?

Hey Moonrover,

Why, yes, it is, but from a large bisque doll head. Hope that makes it somewhat less icky.

 

[Moonrover]

Hey Moonrover,

Why, yes, it is, but from a large bisque doll head. Hope that makes it somewhat less icky.

Calms me down some. <lol>

M