Print plate for label ?

[salty dog]

I found what looks to be some sort of print plate at an old home site in an old section of town.
I found this in Mississippi but thought maybe someone from this site might have seen this being it has New Orleans, La. on it.
Part of the plate is missing, but what remains reads ;

K. A. Magruder
Some time ago my br
Liniment for rheumati
that I tried it for a bur
since used it for sore
knows no such word as
know what I would do
Wife of Hy. Saum
New Orleans, La.
_______________________
Price 25
For S
And b
None Genuine

The writing is backwards which makes me think it is a printing plate.
I posted a picture as is and a picture that I flipped so the words can be read easily.
Measures 2 inches by 1 1/4 inches, which makes me think it is for some kind of label.
Has anyone seen anything like this ?

 

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[Juanmoretime]

its a piece of printing plate. My father was a printer and I saw stuff like this all my life.

 

[PBK]

Agreed.

It's a fragment of a printing plate for a newspaper ad— very possibly for Sloan's Liniment, whose ads and labels often carried the words, "None Genuine without Portrait and Signature."

Is it like copper on the front, and maybe lead on the back? If so, it's what's called an electrotype, or "electro" for short. A wax impression is made of the set type. Next, the wax is treated with graphite and electroplated with copper. When the wax is removed, what's left is a thin copper shell which can serve as a printing plate. Usually, electros are backfilled with lead to give them added strength to stand up to the pressure of printing.

If it's solid, lead-like metal (type metal), then it was cast in a kind of thin papier mâché mold called a mat. The mat is created by impressing it upon set type while the papier mâché is still moist and pliable, then drying and curing it to withstand casting molten type metal into it. The mat would be sent to the local printer, who would then use it to cast a plate.

 

[salty dog]

Thanks Juanmoretime and PBK,
It seems to be made of a heavy metal that does not rust. Probably lead but seems harder than lead. There isn't any sign of copper.
What time period do you think this might be from?
I wish it would not have been broken.
Thanks for the feed back.

 

[Juanmoretime]

It is linotype metal and is harder that lead. The only way you could date this is by the ad itself. If you could find a similiar ad that would give you the time frame. Once priinting was achieved the plates, mats, etc. were remelted and reused to make more. Hope that helps.

Steve

 

[salty dog]

Thanks Juanmoretime,
Maybe I'll come across the ad one day !

 

[Pimp Lenin]

Sounds like a customer's testimony to the product to promote it. Cool find!