What is it and how old?

[Noah_D]

I feel like I have seen one of these posted before and it may have even been my own post, but I usually attach all of my photos to an album and there wasn't anything like it in my photo albums... so here I am. What is this little thing and how old do you think it might be? I'm looking for a site dating to the early-mid 1800s hotel that is now an apple orchard if that helps.

Also, I found an fb I think is 1830s-ish maybe 100 or so feet away from this so I think I might be close to the site but I talked to the landowners son today and he spoke of a tavern (possibly my hotel?) in the exact opposite direction I thought it would be.
Thanks and happy hunting!

 

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[Noah_D]

Here it is again after drying off (still dirty) and next to a quarter for scale.

 

[ticndig]

It's a rivet . used on saddles and such and fits your sites time line.

 

[ArfieBoy]

I agree with ticndig. Also used on denim jeans,etc, from way back.

 

[Noah_D]

Thank you both! I think you guys are right! How old do you think it might be?

 

[muleskinner]

Due to diameter and length of the shank I think it was a horse tack rivet.

 

[DCMatt]

Agree. Leather rivet.

We find lots of these in Civil War areas. Sometimes we call them knapsack rivets, but they the same as used for horse equipment.

Regarding 'tavern' versus 'hotel' - In the early 19th century a tavern was the equivalent of a modern day hotel (motel, really...).

In colonial days it was called an 'ordinary'. An ordinary was a place where a traveler could find food and a bed. In the days after American independence, the word 'ordinary' fell out of favor (too British, I guess ).

George Washington writes about staying at 'William West's Ordinary' (near Aldie, VA) while he was surveying what is now Loudoun County Virginia. 19th C Loudoun County maps show the spot as Lacey's Tavern.

 

[Noah_D]

Agree. Leather rivet.

We find lots of these in Civil War areas. Sometimes we call them knapsack rivets, but they the same as used for horse equipment.

Regarding 'tavern' versus 'hotel' - In the early 19th century a tavern was the equivalent of a modern day hotel (motel, really...).

In colonial days it was called an 'ordinary'. An ordinary was a place where a traveler could find food and a bed. In the days after American independence, the word 'ordinary' fell out of favor (too British, I guess ).

George Washington writes about staying at 'William West's Ordinary' (near Aldie, VA) while he was surveying what is now Loudoun County Virginia. 19th C Loudoun County maps show the spot as Lacey's Tavern.

Thank you Matt! Very informative as always. I talked to the landowner today and he told me the location of the tavern as well as of a house on property. The house was somewhat near where I was digging and found the item in the OP. I narrowed down the location of the tavern to a smallish area and hunted most of it but didn't find too much coin/button-wise but a few neat relics and one fb anyway. Wish me luck.

 

[CRUSADER]

Leather rivet - circa 19th C.