✅ SOLVED Any Ideas what this Brass item is??

[BuckleBoy]

Hello All,

I found two of these items--flat brass items with two holes for rivets/nails in them. They looked at the time like they would have some sort of stamping on them, but both are plain... The older one has some design and it is cast. It also has a part of an old nail still in one hole of it...








I found this one online that was stamped "CS" from a CW camp--the finder at the site says that it's a "watch fob" but it obviously isn't...and it's the same dimensions as the plain oval one I found (pictured above). I'm not suggesting that these are war related, but I'm just wondering what the heck they are...



http://www.midtenrelics.com/buttons.htm (See #2, second photo...)


Regards,


Buckleboy

 

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[watercolor]

I wonder if that could that be some type of decoration/accent piece for tack-related items. . .

It's neat though!
watercolor

 

[DaChief]

I found two of these also. Mine were found in an old farm field where many military relics were discovered dating from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War. I thought they might be some decorative piece off an old rifle or pistol. Mine are more like your oblong one and were hand etched.

 

[BuckleBoy]

I found two of these also. Mine were found in an old farm field where many military relics were discovered dating from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War. I thought they might be some decorative piece off an old rifle or pistol. Mine are more like your oblong one and were hand etched.

Wow! I'd love to see a photo of yours if you get a chance--could you post them on this thread? I was wondering if they were weapon-related. I wonder if others have found these too...

If I find one whatzit I can't ID--that's one thing...but when I've found several, and others have found them too, I start to wonder what they were.

Could be some sort of rifle decoration or tack-related item. I think my oblong one is either hand-etched or cast...

 

[DaChief]

Mine is in my attic right now in a box of other items. I will try to pull them out next time I am up there. Almost identical to your oblong one that I can remember. Each was different in its own way though. I believe that one side of the screw holes were beveled so that the screw head would be flush with the surface.

 

[kieser sousa/rip]

I've found a couple aswell.Allways thought they might be tack related but dont know for sure.Mine were found at a colonial site were the most modern items were coins from the very early 1800's with most being in the 1700's.

 

[AZ-Mtnman]

Da Chief gets my vote on that one. Good eye.

 

[BuckleBoy]

I've found a couple aswell.Allways thought they might be tack related but dont know for sure.Mine were found at a colonial site were the most modern items were coins from the very early 1800's with most being in the 1700's.

I also got coins from the earlier 1800s where I found mine--two 1820s LC's. I don't think there was much occupation there after the CW. If you have yours accessible, I'd love to see them on this thread as well. Perhaps we can figure this out. I'm going to start by looking through photos of rifles, pistols, and saddles to see if I can find anything.


Regards,


Buckleboy

 

[kieser sousa/rip]

I'll see if i can find em BB,that will be a treasure hunt in it's self ! I just took a quick look and found a button that has some kinda desighn on it now were the heak is my magnifyin glass's !

 

[AZ-Mtnman]

These are kinda fancy, but check out the Southpaw Rifle 109 at the bottom of the page, on the cheekpiece.http://www.scarletscarab.com/allansandy.htm

 

[diggerfororo]

Hi BB. The larger one with the CS could be an old luggage tag. I have seen some similar on the leather handles of old trunks. (just a suggestion)

Les

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Maybe its a personal identification tag for a soldiers Bible or diary ...sometimes kept in small wooden box

 

[Iron Patch]

Damn, I have found them too and even think I knew the ID at one point but can't remember!

 

[BuckleBoy]

Maybe its a personal identification tag for a soldiers Bible or diary ...sometimes kept in small wooden box

I think this is a more general item than one specifically related to a soldier...I've found several of these at old house site--and evidently people have found them in military sites as well--so I think tack-related or weapon-related are good starting points (due to the common themes between civilians and soldiers).

Evidently these things are more common than I thought... I'd love to see more photos to compare if folks can dig them out of their collections.


What types of sites did you all find these things at?

 

[Iron Patch]

Just random older house sites, don't believe they are anythinhg special.. although anything marked CS from a CW camp would get some interest.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Just random older house sites, don't believe they are anythinhg special.. although anything marked CS from a CW camp would get some interest.

I guess what I'm getting at is this:

When I find one isolated Whatzit at a housesite, and I can't ID it--I don't worry. It goes in the brass keeper bin with a little note attached. When I find several items at several different sites I start to really wonder what they are--and I also start thinking that if they had more widespread use, then someone somewhere will likely know what they are or what purpose they had.

So long story short, the more of them I find, the more a lack of an ID bothers me.


-Buckles

 

[Michellets]

OK, now you've piqued my interest. I too have found several of those, they are oval looking, two holes, some are plain, some have a decorated edge, none have ever said anything, or had a picture on them. They always come from my early dated sights (1700's- early 1800's) I was thinking maybe the end piece on a flintlock pistol. HH M

 

[Fast_Dave]

I'd have to guess something with rivets rather than nails due to the countersinking on the back. Anything nailed down would stand a good chance of the nailhead punching through. I thought I had a couple too, but mine had a more mundane use and were easily identified, lol!

 

[BuckleBoy]

OK, now you've piqued my interest. I too have found several of those, they are oval looking, two holes, some are plain, some have a decorated edge, none have ever said anything, or had a picture on them. They always come from my early dated sights (1700's- early 1800's) I was thinking maybe the end piece on a flintlock pistol. HH M

Thanks for your reply. Evidently these items were widespread in use. It gives me hope for figuring out what they are. I've spent several hours looking for them, but the CS one was the only one I could come up with--and as I mentioned above, it was mis-identified as a watch fob.

I'd love to see a photo of some of yours, Michellets, if you get a chance.

Do you mean that you think it might be a piece off the bottom end of the grip of a pistol?


Regards,


Buckles

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Didnt most flintlock pistols have rounded endcaps?