strange lid with insect design

[Mudslide]

Dug this in my Vermont backyard, about 6 inches down. Stuff from back there has ranged from 1836-1906, mostly. This lid is nickel, has a hinge, and fancy holes cut into it. An insect of some sort sits on top. I could find no other pieces of what it was, and can't figure out what this thing was used for. Seems to be from Victorian Era. Any ideas? Found anything like this? Thanks!!!

 

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[pippinwhitepaws]

cool find....looks like a lid for an old tobacco... one of those fancy European types...
pipe...

 

[John_Deere]

Can't help ya identify it, but I can give you a compliment on an interesting find! Congrats and HH!

 

[vpnavy]

Nice find (whatever it ends up being). Mudslide. Not sure about the tobacco lid since (I believe) the one's I've seen had holes in the lids...

 

[MackDigger]

Just a guess based on the holes but perhaps it was a jar used to catch bugs. I had one as a kid with holes in the lid and a butterfly on it.

 

[rastinirv]

As you can see from my avatar, I found something with a fly on it, too. Mine turned out to be a bicycle bell top. Yours might be from insecticide. Or it could just be a decorative lid from something else; apparently it was a popular design motif around the turn of the century. Cool find, either waY1

 

[rastinirv]

Nice find (whatever it ends up being). Mudslide. Not sure about the tobacco lid since (I believe) the one's I've seen had holes in the lids...

This one actually does have holes, Mr VPNavy, so he might be onto something

 

[Mudslide]

Thanks for the suggestions! You guys gave me ideas to research.

 

[kuger]

Secretcanyon nailed it...its a smoking pipe bowl cover....we dig em often

 

[g-olden years]

Cool lid in any case! If it's not for tobacco, maybe it's for a honey jar or jar of wonderful New England maple syrup. Just a guess. Andi

 

[kuger]

search German pipe bowl cover...thats what you have

 

[NW Digger]

Cool find for sure!

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

I like the fact the insect is applied to the piece, instead of being stamped into the metal...

really nice find...wouldn't be surprised of the insect was precious metal...

 

[Mudslide]

unfortunately it is just cheap metal, but was still fun to dig up. It does appear to be a pipe bowl cover. Thank you!!!!!!