1920s Dog Collar ID Tag or a Maybe a Police Gun Holster ID Tag?

[FreeBirdTim]

1920's Dog Collar ID Tag or a Maybe a Police Gun Holster ID Tag?

Found a neat ID tag today. Not sure what it is, so you guys decide. It has "John G. Riley Hope, RI" stamped into the lead tag. It's attached to the remnants of a piece of leather. At first I thought it was part of a dog collar, but now I'm not so sure.

Here's what makes me think it may be a police gun holster ID tag. I did some research on John G Riley and found his name in a 1928 Scituate (Hope is part of Scituate) town tax book. On the page, he's listed as one of the town's police constables. So maybe it was attached to the strap on his gun holster? Let me know what you think about that theory.

Here's pics of the tag and the 1928 Scituate Tax book page:

 

[trapperart]

Cool

 

[sutphin]

FBT DANG NEET FIND ..

 

[ScubaDetector]

I have never heard of a tag on a gun holster. I used to have my great grandfathers holster from the CW. I know back then car parts and buggy parts had leather on them. Maybe it is something entirely different. I have seen many antique holsters. Just never one with a metal tag on it.

 

[BagLady]

Love that tag. I think it is a dog tag. Could have been a Black and Tan Hound!

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Okay, I'll stick with a dog tag. Seems weird that he'd put his name and town on it and not his address or phone number! Even the dog's name or license number would have be nice!

 

[ScubaDetector]

Okay, I'll stick with a dog tag. Seems weird that he'd put his name and town on it and not his address or phone number! Even the dog's name or license number would have be nice!

I have a silly question for you. How big was Hope R.I. in 1928? Could it be it was so small everyone knew one another?

 

[FreeBirdTim]

I have a silly question for you. How big was Hope R.I. in 1928? Could it be it was so small everyone knew one another?

Good point! Hope was (and still is) a very small town. And since he was a police constable, I guess everyone would know him in that area.

Another possibility is that he made the tag when he was a kid. The lettering is crooked and the tag kind of looks home made. That would make the tag really old, since he had to be at least 18 when he was a constable in 1928.

 

[CRUSADER]

I thought it may have gone on some type of horse tack or saddle.

 

[Subterranean]

Okay, I'll stick with a dog tag. Seems weird that he'd put his name and town on it and not his address or phone number! Even the dog's name or license number would have be nice!

I think you are correct on it being dog related. I have not seen metal attachments to holsters in my 35 years of collecting. Metal rivets would scratch the finish of the gun in the holster. Most personalized holsters had stamped lettering in the leather. Sub

 

[FreeBirdTim]

I thought it may have gone on some type of horse tack or saddle

Another good possibility! I found it deep in the woods, right off of a walking trial. That trail could have been used for horses 90 years ago...

 

[releventchair]

Dog hunting history may factor.
I'd be looking for info regarding if Mr. Riley ran coon hounds ..
Too a dog of any breed could have been a benefit to a constable.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Very interesting, and especially cool that you can trace it to a local person who lived there. Never seen a dog collar with a tag like that, so my completely uneducated guess would be that it was on some horse tack.

 

[releventchair]

Very interesting, and especially cool that you can trace it to a local person who lived there. Never seen a dog collar with a tag like that, so my completely uneducated guess would be that it was on some horse tack.

Horse maybe.
A running collar for a hound can have a ring allowing it to roll rather than snag ,but by riveting I.D. tag to a collar it avoids the tag snagging on something.
Fences are one snag that can tear a tag,straighten an s-hook or worse choke the hound.

https://www.google.com/search?q=old...Ksk7TLAhVDRyYKHbMEAXQQsAQIHA&biw=1366&bih=643

 

[against the wind]

I'll throw my 2 Zincolns in the pot,,
Maybe a home made tag for a book bag or suit case??

 

[marion moore]

(o.k two more cents) maybe he made a bracelet when his was a kid or older.

marion

 

[FreeBirdTim]

There was a boy scout camp in this area in the 1920's or the 1930's. I wonder if it was some sort of boy scout project?