Unusual Cross Clip or Pendant? Catholic?

[mangum]

Hello all! I got out today with Tenspeed, not too many signals left but did manage a few keepers. UPDATE: It turns out the cross is a cloak clasp - pretty neat! (see example I posted down the thread) I'd still love to know how old it is. A little background- the site is a late 1800s homesite but has been used and owned by a men's Catholic Order since the early 1930s. So, is this a decorative Victorian piece or is it somehow related to the church? As always any insight is appreciated! The cross cleaned up really nice. I didn't want to lose any patina so I used a toothpick to get the dirt out & then sealed it with a coat of beeswax (Burt's Bees lip balm). I also found a decorative piece of some thing & 3 wheaties (46 & two 52Ds). It was a hot & muggy day in SC but all this recent rain has made the ground great to dig (also brought the Mosquitos out in droves!) Thanks for looking & HH!

 

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[Argentium]

That is a most interesting find indeed ! I think it is likely Victorian/Edwardian , I'm a bit confused by the way the clippy part is not only affixed
onto the underside , but protrudes rather obnoxiously over the front as well. With regard to the four tiny holes at the corners of the trancepts,
I suppose the piece may have been one of a number of ornamental mounts nailed into a wooden box or something , the clip thing could have
accommodated a large and stout ring of some kind - obviously a wild a$$ guess , but lets see what others may offer !

Upon further examination of your pics , I think it worth mentioning that the thickness of the clip prevents the piece from contacting a flat
surface at the point where it joins the underside of the piece , this in conjunction with the fact that the underside of the piece was clearly
not meant to be seen -(the visual integrity is all about the "top side") throws into further question ,the function of the clip ?

 

[mangum]

Argentium- I just had a neighbor suggest that this may be a hasp for a bible or other religious text. That would explain the 4 tiny holes which really wouldn't support a box but could support a book... Thoughts?

 

[mangum]

Here is an example (mine is def not as cool as this example) but it gets the point across...

 

[silversurfer1111]

cool looking ..sorry i cant help you...but thanks for showing

 

[Argentium]

Yeah , that sounds plausible to me !

 

[junkfinder]

Very cool.

 

[Michiganne]

Interesting relic. Congrats!

HH

 

[OneWetKnee]

It looks french, the Flur de Lis Cross.

 

[mangum]

Thanks to Breezie in the What is it forum for pointing me in the right direction. I am now convinced this is indeed a cloak clasp. This explains the 4 tiny holes as most of them I've found online have these (see below). So, since this is a cloak clasp I'm assuming that it is related in some way to the Catholic Order there. Any idea how old it is? As I said the order has been there since the early 1930s.