Any ideas on this piece of brass?????

Southern Brass · Mar 30, 2014

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This i is a solid piece of brass I found . It's 2 inches long and has a loop on one end thats attached . It doesn't open and on the other end is a small stud that appears to have have been counter sunk into something. the loop may have been used to tie off a belt or rope at some point or could be off a piece of furniture or a lamp . I am only guessing . :icon_scratch:

Any help or ideas are appreciated. Thanks again to everyone and happy treasure hunting 8-)

BigBobBow · Mar 30, 2014

Looks like a nice heavy brass Barrel Tap key. There where many designs of these.

cambria09 · Mar 30, 2014

Hello Southern Brass. I dunno what it is but I like it.

My first thought is a rein guide but it looks too ornate and at two inches in length it seems too small for that. Does the inside of the loop look worn like something was moving back and forth inside it?

Maybe it's a fixture used in a kitchen or house to hang stuff from?

Whatever the use it is cool, nice find. Thanks for posting it and good luck. C9

nhbenz · Mar 30, 2014

My initial thought (which I could be wrong about) was that the back side was left crude enough that I think it wouldn't be seen when in use. For example on a lamp most parts can be seen, front and back, from some angle... where as on a chandelier, not so much. However, if this were a leg from a footed lamp, well you get the idea.
Is the protruding nub solid? No threads or signs that it might have been threaded and had a bolt broken off in it?
Edit: I know the suggestion that it could possibly be a foot (leg) might make one wonder about the angles, but my thinking is that it could have attached to a rounded piece (like on a footed planter) which would make the angles work. The loop May be just decorative, rather than functional, but it would be good to know if there is signs of wear inside of it.

Southern Brass · Mar 30, 2014

The indside of the loop looks pretty uniform all the way around. Looking at it under a magnifying glass I can't see any signs of wear where a rope or strap my have worn it down over the years........ the end with the stud is solid and made into the whole piece . There is no signs that it was ever threaded or had a bolt or nut on it ..... looking at other pics online could it possibly be a rein terret? It was found in a field and there was alot of farming with mules over the years. Also in that general area there was a confederate campsite also.

Southern Brass · Mar 30, 2014

Im leaning towards a rein terret or rein guide myself. Looking at other pics online they seem to be some fancy ones back then. Again this was found in a field that have been farmed for over 150 years. Also there was a confederate camp near by also. anytime I find old brass I'm excited LOL.