Civil War era Railroad Boxcar Seal

**Breezie** · Apr 21, 2011, 04:01 PM

Today was one of those perfect MD days, 72 degrees, slightly overcast, and a little breeze. I felt somewhat guilty enjoying the day when many people here in North Carolina were 'digging' to find their life memories from the damage of all the tornadoes.

I was detecting in an area between a Civil War Cavalry camp and the old R & G Railroad, which hauled CW soldiers and supplies during the war. When I first picked up the signal, I thought it was a bullet, but after digging, I saw what I thought was a bale seal. I rubbed away some of the dirt, and even without my reading glasses I could see a date. Could it be 1857? A very quick trip back to the SUV, scrambling for the loop and a cup of dipping/cleaning water proved I had found something I had only read about in books: A Henry Mears Railroad Freight Car Seal. They were used to prevent tampering and thief of the goods. I also found in the same area a CW bit curb chain,several horse shoes, a railroad spike, and an iron piece that resembles a flint lock hammer, but I don’t think it is.

Here is the info from Mears’ Railroad Seal patent:
No. 17,801.—HENRY D. MEARS and WILLIAM HOULTON, Jr., of Baltimore, Md.—Seal for Railroad Freight Cars, &c.—Patent dated July 14, 1857.—The disk B is passed through the staples a, and the strip a is then doubled so as to bring the hole bl over the rivet c1; the disks are then brought together and the rivet is clinched, and an impression is then stamped on the disks by means of dies.

Claim.—The device for sealing described, the same consisting of soft metallic disks connected by a strip, or wire of harder metal, as described, the whole constructed and operated substantially in the manner set forth, and applied to the purposes specified.

Thanks for looking, Breezie