✅ SOLVED Unknown Brass Whatsit - Any ideas?

[Montana Jim]

Greetings Treasure-netters! It's been a long time since I've posted something I cant' figure out... any help is appreciated - I'm stumped.

I was detecting with the awesome Mona Lisa at a Pennsylvania stone cellar hole site and found this ring(?). It was much closer to the house foundation that than the barn foundation. The homestead was shown on an 1870s map. We dug no 19th century trash at this virgin detecting private property. Other items found include brass crotal bells, Indian head pennies, ax heads, gas lantern valves, spoons/utensils and heal/toe plates.

The object looks like a ring and is the same circumference as an American quarter. It's all brass with two rivets. There is an engraved/scored line on each outer edge of the object.

 

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[creskol]

I wonder if it is a finger ring off of the base of candle stick?

Something along these lines is what I was thinking:

 

[yelnif]

Hello Montana Jim, I'm thinking it may have been attached to a leather horse harness, either at the front shoulder or the hind quarter area- to run the reins through. It would have kept them from getting tangled up, not a good thing- especially with multiple horses/ multiple reins. In your photos it looks like there may be material from the attachment point of the original article- sandwiched between the 'ring' and the washer(rove). Can't tell what that is- possibly leather remains. You might try digging a little of it out just to see what it is- might lead to a better ID. HH yelnif...

 

[Tony in SC]

Hello Montana Jim, I'm thinking it may have been attached to a leather horse harness, either at the front shoulder or the hind quarter area- to run the reins through. It would have kept them from getting tangled up, not a good thing- especially with multiple horses/ multiple reins. In your photos it looks like there may be material from the attachment point of the original article- sandwiched between the 'ring' and the washer(rove). Can't tell what that is- possibly leather remains. You might try digging a little of it out just to see what it is- might lead to a better ID. HH yelnif...

It does look some reins guides that I've seen before. Tony

 

[creskol]

It does look some reins guides that I've seen before. Tony

Never have seen any like this before that I can remember. To me, the size of it looks prohibitively small for that, there are no signs of rein rub, and most rein guides have rounded edges to allow for smooth passage. Also, given its size, that would be an extremely flimsy attachment for that application.

 

[CaptEsteban]

It could be a brass napkin ring .

 

[Montana Jim]

Gents, Thanks for your time and responses! I tend to lean towards the common answer to anything, and agree it's far to fragile to be associated with horse tack. I've done my share of riding and don't think this item would make a good rein guide. It's not frail, but, nothing like the rein guides I've seen/used. There is almost no space where leather would have been affixed between the ring and small ornament - except maybe a thin sheet of tin or brass - not leather. In addition, close inspection does not show signs of rubbing or use like Creskol suggests.

I think the potential for it being a candle stick finger ring, or something similar, is very high.