A little play money and mystery item.

[CoinandRelicMan]

Got a little play money (aluminum) on my last hunt and it sure was not easy to find, had a 12 type light bulb socket and a few other misc items all right together including one of the mystery domes and a blob of lead that must have weighed in at 6 ounces. Think I have found three of the domes at least on the site so far. They are a little bigger than a quarter and have tangs on the back that are soldered in a copper U that flares out. The tangs are very fragile and barely touching them will always cause them to break off. I had one with intact flanges and attempting to clean the dirt out broke one side off.



Here are the mystery domes:



If anyone knows what the domes are let us know please , thanks !
It was a fun hunt even without anything really good turning up , finding piles of new coins can be good
CARM

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A History of Mining on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska - Grab it through Amazon!

[CRUSADER]

I'm not sure these mystery domes, normally with a letter 'E' every got solved.

 

[Loco-Digger]

Nice, 1st play money I have seen with a date. Cool find for sure. I think I have 4 pieces of play money in my collection.

 

[EasternShoreMetal]

They are buttons.
Nice finds.

 

[CoinandRelicMan]

They are buttons.
Nice finds.

Buttons? I never thought of that they seem big, buttons used to be huge? How old would they be about?

 

[WHADIFIND]

Could they be bells? Like off an old, old telephone?

 

[CoinandRelicMan]

Could they be bells? Like off an old, old telephone?

Nice try W but they don't ring well.
I've got some of those old phone bells they have a different attachment method and are larger than these, soldered copper attachment would not let the ringing go on very well. Also see the black inside the one seems like decayed leather perhaps? Yes buttons used to be that large and metal based, now they would be made of plastic most likely.

 

[jeff of pa]

I agree they Remind me of Bells But
I thought more along the line of

tuff call though if there are no inscriptions to research.

what are their exact Sizes ?

By the way. Cool on the Play money ! I love finding those

 

[CoinandRelicMan]

I agree they Remind me of Bells But
I thought more along the line of

View attachment 1188704 tuff call though if there are no inscriptions to research.

what are their exact Sizes ?

By the way. Cool on the Play money ! I love finding those

Thanks Jeff ! Ok here is the measure picture, don't think the mystery items are bells tho

 

[WHADIFIND]

How about some sort of decoration for something related to a horse?

 

[EasternShoreMetal]

The largest dome button that I have is just about the same size as a quarter. It still has the loop inside, but if it broke off, it would look just like the second one you show, same as a flat button.
The only strange thing is that the first dome you show, seems to have two attachment points? hard to tell by the picture. The second one from the obverse side also seems to have writing on it, cleaned, that may tell you more.
Phone bells are fairly large, and have a hole in the center.
Here's a pic of one of my domes, the same size as a quarter, circa late 1700's early 1800's.



The largest flat buttons can be more than and inch and a half across.

 

[CoinandRelicMan]

Hi ESM thanks for your posting. Yes I do see a C there but it is hard to see anything else. I did clean on the other a bit and it seems there is a chain of X es on it no clue what that would be for. Also on picking one dome up the black material that was sticking inside fell off and it looks like a fabric of some type but it crumbles if you touch it.

 

[CRUSADER]

The largest dome button that I have is just about the same size as a quarter. It still has the loop inside, but if it broke off, it would look just like the second one you show, same as a flat button.
The only strange thing is that the first dome you show, seems to have two attachment points? hard to tell by the picture. The second one from the obverse side also seems to have writing on it, cleaned, that may tell you more.
Phone bells are fairly large, and have a hole in the center.
Here's a pic of one of my domes, the same size as a quarter, circa late 1700's early 1800's.

View attachment 1189035

The largest flat buttons can be more than and inch and a half across.

These are not a type of domed button.

 

[CoinandRelicMan]

These are not a type of domed button.

crusader, do you mean his button is not a domed type ? How tall does a button need to be to be a "Dome type" ? Mine are Point 394 inches tall ...

Sent from my XT830C using Tapatalk

 

[CoinandRelicMan]

How about some sort of decoration for something related to a horse?

That could be possible W . It is still a mystery item to me.

Sent from my XT830C using Tapatalk

 

[jewelerguy]

if thinking buttons, my first thought comes to the two buttons which might be found close to the neckline of a cape. colonial? I dunno, did they have the capability to weave fabric as tight and uniform as is pictured next to the dime ?

 

[CoinandRelicMan]

if thinking buttons, my first thought comes to the two buttons which might be found close to the neckline of a cape. colonial? I dunno, did they have the capability to weave fabric as tight and uniform as is pictured next to the dime ?

I did find one of those domes on an earlier hunt so there was at least 3 out there. Really don't know much on the time lines of textiles fabric weaving technology here. Am wondering if that fabric was elastic with rubber back. Maybe the domes were on some sort of elastic headband that would help cool you off?

Sent from my XT830C using Tapatalk

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Great finds the play money and mystery half orbs. Congrats!
Not sure what they are. You found 3 so either there's a lot of them on something, like studs on belts, bag, or saddle. Or there were several items that have these on them, like a bunch of tents with these as closure devices. Nice mystery!
We should ask some very senior citizens.

 

[CRUSADER]

crusader, do you mean his button is not a domed type ? How tall does a button need to be to be a "Dome type" ? Mine are Point 394 inches tall ...

Sent from my XT830C using Tapatalk

I mean yours are not buttons. Real domed buttons vary a lot.

 

[CoinandRelicMan]

I mean yours are not buttons. Real domed buttons vary a lot.

I think they are from some horse rig or saddle, or some decoration of some sort. Don't seem like they are made for fastening two layers of cloth or leather to me.

P.S. All three that I found came from the same site and they definitely have a decent amount of age, as the copper was very fragile in the tang fastener.