Cooking Container?

[winslow]

Sometimes I get fascinated by the stuff I dig up especially if it's older stuff. This aluminum pan and bottomless aluminum cup looking thingy was completely flattened and about a foot deep. I straightened it as best I could and cleaned it up a bit but I just can't figure out how it was used. Maybe it has nothing to do with cowboy cookery.

It looks like there were 3 legs on the "cup". Two were attached to the back of the pan and one was riveted to the bottom of the pan at one time. So ... the cup was above the pan. It looks life there was never anything attached to the bottom of the cup because it is smooth with no ragged edges.

The diameter of the pan is about 7 inches and it is about 7 inches tall if the "cup" is placed on top with the legs reattached.

Everything I found at this site seems to date to around the 1860's so I am assuming this was used during that era.

I know this looks like a piece of crap but it's old crap and finding this stuff (and figuring out how it was used) is a good part of why I find detecting so fun!

 

[flinthunter]

I have no idea what it might be but aluminum was rare and expensive in the mid 1800's and didn't become cheaper to produce until the later 1800's. Just my opinion but I would think it might date to the early 1900's.

 

[Crappies-n-Coins]

Wonder if it could have been a candle or oil lamp holder?

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Maybe part of a coffee pot (percolator type)

 

[mick56]

I'm with the coffee pot idea.

 

[Anduril]

Just looking at it quickly - it looks to me like some kind of metal pipe flashing one might find in a roof repair / installation.
If so, I would think it would be found alongside other roofing materials (possibly deterioated by now), except for nails of course.