What makes this blanket pin worth $ 99.99?

[creskol]

Dated Aug 30th 1875 Tin Star Badge Unusual Design Embossed Star Patent Dated See | eBay

 

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[thrillathahunt]

diaper pin for a Texas sized baby?

 

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[SODABOTTLEBOB]

The only thing I can currently think of to explain why the star tab is folded/bent is so it could be slipped over a fabric with the star tab still showing which would conceal the pin on the back side of the fabric ... similar to the Taft ribbon pictured below.

 

[creskol]

You make some good valid points and observations! Thanks for the interest!

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Re-Observation / Correction ...

After conducting a couple of experiments I discovered if the star-tab was slipped over a single layer of fabric and then pinned on the back side of the fabric, that a small portion of the pin would still be visible on either side of the tab (see illustration below). Although I can not say for certain, I'm thinking this is not what the designer/inventor had in mind.

However, if the item was used on two layers of fabric, such as a shirt pocket, with the star-tab slipped over the front part of the pocket and pinned to the shirt itself, then no portion of the pin would be visible. Is it possible the item is some type of shirt pocket closure devise and that in order to access the pocket all one would have to do is lift up on the star-tab to get into the pocket? And if not a shirt pocket, something similar with two layers of fabric?

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

For Comparison ...

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

P.S.

When I think of 1870s shirts, I think of a Bull Durham tab hanging from a cowboy's shirt pocket. Is it possible the item is a spin-off of that?

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Hmm ...

Maybe the item wasn't pinned to the backside of the shirt pocket but instead was intended to be pinned to a Bull Durham type of cloth tobacco pouch so it could hang inside of the pocket ...

 

[Old Bookaroo]

creskol:

Item appears to have been sold - no way to know the price.

I made a brief search of the US Patent Office database to try to research what this is. It's not an easy system for an amateur to use! It appears no patents were issued on August 30, 1875.

Good luck to all,

~ The Old Bookaroo

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Additional Research ... Because the patent date relates to a diaper pin, and because I believe the bent portion of the star tab was intended to be used as some type of hanger, I'm wondering if the combination was designed so as to hang a washed diaper on a drying rack? The pin/hanger item would allow multiple diapers to be hung on a single rack as opposed to draping only a few at a time as shown in the attached picture. I did some research on drying racks and discovered they go way back with a large variety of designs patented.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Here's a drying rack that was patented in 1875 - which is the same year the diaper pin was patented ...

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Plus ...

I found this "STAR" brand clothes drying rack which, when opened, is similar to the patent design I just posted ...

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Here's a side view of the star tab to indicate the direction it would be hung. I estimate the gap to be about 1/2 inch ...