✅ SOLVED Victorian era item?

gary s fl

Sr. Member
Mar 21, 2005
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Birmingham Alabama
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Recently found this decorative Victorian era looking copper item along an old unused coal transport railroad bed that was built around 1890. Measures 2 5/8" x 1" x 1/8" thick. Weighs 1.2 oz. The casting was fairly crude especially the back but from looks of where I nicked it, the copper seems to be of good quality. Each end was broken off where there were holes for mounting it. The item has a slight curving along it's length.
Questions. Victorian? Any guesses as to what it might have been mounted to? Perhaps something to do with mining? Does it look like a sand casting was used to make it?
I have some smaller size pics if need. Thanks
 

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Since I don't know the size of the hole in the middle, it could either be a door bell button cover or either a hardware drawer escutcheon plate for a round knob.

You can see where the mounting holes were broken on each end. I'm leaning more toward an escutcheon plate since the embossed vines are not symmetrical. With the horizontal orientation, you can see the design works for an escutcheon, but if turned vertically for a door button, the embossed design would not look right. And, yes, it is Victorian style, but are you sure it's not brass instead of copper?

Neat find :)
Breezie

Plate.jpg
 

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Thanks Breezie. A drawer escutcheon plate sounds good because the top and bottom sides aren't quite symmetrical. The hole dia. in the middle is 1/4". I'm almost certain it's copper from the color of the nick which probably doesn't show up accurately in the picture. I'm pretty sure at least one of the ends that was broken off was down deeper in hole but I didn't have time to dig for it and when I went back to find the rest of the item I wasn't able locate the hole because I hadn't marked the spot well enough. Lesson learned.
 

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Thanks Breezie. A drawer escutcheon plate sounds good because the top and bottom sides aren't quite symmetrical. The hole dia. in the middle is 1/4". I'm almost certain it's copper from the color of the nick which probably doesn't show up accurately in the picture. I'm pretty sure at least one of the ends that was broken off was down deeper in hole but I didn't have time to dig for it and when I went back to find the rest of the item I wasn't able locate the hole because I hadn't marked the spot well enough. Lesson learned.

Yeppers since the hole diameter is 1/4 inch it's more than likely an escutcheon plate. As far as marking spots are concerned, I use the bright neon lime green golf tees, then I can find the spot/are days or weeks later. If someone else sees the tees, they generally assume someone was practicing their golf swing.
:)
Breezie
 

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