Thimble & lock.. but how old?

[blackbird939]

Thimble & lock.. but how old?

I found these things near the Ox Hill battlefield in Va. Found a .58 three ringer too.

Found this "Mail" lock about 8" under ground. It still has some grey enamel left. I figure it is from the 50's or even 60's. This thimble looks pretty old to me. It's a paper thin brass or copper. It could easily crush in an collapse if squeezed.

The last thing here looks like a modern bullet's metal jacket.

Michael

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[PBK]

Re: Thimble & lock.. but how old?

The "Mail" warded padlock is around 100-110 years old. I believe that some have "RFD" on the other side. This provides a dating clue, as RFD (rural free delivery) mail service was introduced in 1896.

 

[jimbob450]

Re: Thimble & lock.. but how old?

Very cool lock.Nice find. Jimbob

 

[DD-777]

Re: Thimble & lock.. but how old?

That piece too big to be a percussion cap?

 

[Ramitt]

Re: Thimble & lock.. but how old?

looks like a percusion cap to me also, though the size might be large, or the thimble small?

 

[blackbird939]

Re: Thimble & lock.. but how old?

That percussion cap is probably a metal jacket for a bullet. The reason I say this is the rifling slightly visible along the outer edges. It definitely passed through a barrel at one point. Do percussion caps show that rifling evidence?

 

[DCMatt]

Re: Thimble & lock.. but how old?

That percussion cap is probably a metal jacket for a bullet. The reason I say this is the rifling slightly visible along the outer edges. It definitely passed through a barrel at one point. Do percussion caps show that rifling evidence?

Percussion caps do not pass through the barrel.

Did any CW artillery use percussion caps? I found a Union artillery horse rosette in the same field as the item in question.

DCMatt

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Thimble & lock.. but how old?

That piece too big to be a percussion cap?

looks like a percusion cap to me also, though the size might be large, or the thimble small?

Musket percussion caps are a little larger. http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ussion+caps%22&um=1&hl=en&lr=&sa=N&as_qdr=all

 

[DCMatt]

Re: Thimble & lock.. but how old?

That piece too big to be a percussion cap?

looks like a percusion cap to me also, though the size might be large, or the thimble small?

Musket percussion caps are a little larger. http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ussion+caps%22&um=1&hl=en&lr=&sa=N&as_qdr=all

So can we conclude that the item IS a musket percussion cap? Sure looks like one to me...

Or do we need a picture with the item next to a ruler to better determine the size.

DCMatt

 

[jayutica]

Re: Thimble & lock.. but how old?

That piece too big to be a percussion cap?

looks like a percusion cap to me also, though the size might be large, or the thimble small?

Musket percussion caps are a little larger. http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ussion+caps%22&um=1&hl=en&lr=&sa=N&as_qdr=all

So can we conclude that the item IS a musket percussion cap? Sure looks like one to me...

Or do we need a picture with the item next to a ruler to better determine the size.

DCMatt

Nope, it is the copper jacket from a modern bullet, just as blackbird surmised; you can see the crimp marks where the shell was crimped on as well as the rifling marks.

 

[PBK]

Re: Thimble & lock.. but how old?

Nope, it is the copper jacket from a modern bullet, just as blackbird surmised; you can see the crimp marks where the shell was crimped on as well as the rifling marks.

​

 

[blackbird939]

Re: Thimble & lock.. but how old?

Wow.. I shoulda taken a brighter pic of that thing. It was covered in dirt ( of course) right before I snapped the shot. I cleaned it, took the pic and then realized that it was just a jacket from a bullet which detonated just like a perc cap would in my imagination. I found it only feet away from myfirst and only CW relic, so I was hoping I was on a roll at that moment. Nope.. but like StogieJim said... finding stuff this size and depth makes me know I am doing something right. I found a washer about 5" down which is paper thin and 1/4"-3/8" in diameter. I find .22 rounds too, which are not much bigger than a bb (.17 cal). Love my Tesoro Tejon for that reason alone.

 

[Native1858]

Re: Thimble & lock.. but how old?

Lock looks like an old brass Yale with insignia.