Copper plate with image on it

[Noodle]

I found this about 8" down at the Civil War Site hunt in Missouri last weekend. It's a copper plate with an image on it. At first we thought it was a lady sitting at a spinning wheel, but the more we clean it, the more it looks like an American Indian (maybe a woman?) crouched down playing on a drum that's laying on its side.

Does anyone recognize the image? Have any clue as to what it may have been attached to?

Thanks for any suggestions!

Noodle

 

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[trk5capt]

Noodle, The Only Thing That I Can Think Of Is Maybe A Tax Tag That Would Have Been Nailed To A House To Show That The Taxes Had Been Paid. I Have Found Some Around Here On Old Plantation Sites. I Will Post Some Pics. trk5capt...

 

[Noodle]

trk5capt, Thanks for the guess. I've never heard of such a thing. Please do post a pic for us. I couldn't find anything online except "dog tax tags."

 

[Burdie]

That is a great find. Hope you get the answers your looking for.

Burdie

 

[Noodle]

Trk, how neat! Those look thinner than mine, but it's a possibility. Haven't found anything resembling a date or city or number on it yet, though.

Burdie, thanks for looking. I'm hoping to find out more, too.

- Noodle

 

[Michelle]

AWESOME.......Can the copper be cleaned up.....? http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-0279(195510/12)75:4<226:TBOAIH>2.0.CO;2-E&size=SMALL Read first page....mentions Indians....

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

N,

very nice artifact. You may have a real
piece of history there.

Two holes say it must have been posted.

Again, nice.

have a good un.......

 

[diggummup]

Get that puppy cleaned up some.See if there are any more clues on it.Nice relic.

 

[Kansas]

Can you clean it up a little more without destroying it ?
I enlarged your photo and kinda let my mind run wild (easy for me to do... LOL) and outlined what I thought I saw.
Could it be a tractor plate or some kind of machinery from the war ?

~Kansas~

 

[sanford.]

Maybe I'm seeing things but it looks like the image of a man operating a metal lathe . I see a hammer and other tools on a table in the background. May be a logo for some type of lathe or other machine.

 

[Michelle]

I see a man sitting at a wheeled machine "lathe maybe" or even a woman working a sewing machine......hmmm

 

[Monty]

A monkey riding a bicycle? Used extensively on traveling circuses to advertise their novelty acts during the teens up until the early 30s. A bit of an oddity but nevertheless quite common in the era of the big top. Considering I just made that up, you were right noodle, I need to go take my meds. Monty

 

[Noodle]

You're a hoot, Monty! Truly, it is an American Indian figure beating on a drum. You can see the ropes that hold the skin on the top of the drum just to the left of center above the drum circle. It's very clear now. I took some pics, but they were blurry. Will try again. I've also looked to see if I can find any logo that was used "way back then" for any product resembling this, but nothing presents itself.

Thanks to all who responded. I'll get those new pics out in the next day or two. Have to get the camera and plate in the same room.

Noodle

 

[Michelle]

A monkey riding a bicycle? Used extensively on traveling circuses to advertise their novelty acts during the teens up until the early 30s. A bit of an oddity but nevertheless quite common in the era of the big top. Considering I just made that up, you were right noodle, I need to go take my meds. Monty

And yes it does sound like a winner...to bad your meds' wore off.

 

[BuckleBoy]

This is obviously the lone surviving belt plate of the 12th Confederate Infantry Bicycle Regiment. (The bicycle was invented by a Confederate think-tank and then the knowledge was lost for a few decades after the fall of Richmond. Kinda like Geometry after the fall of Rome.) The find is...priceless. They were even planning on training monkeys to load and fire Springfield rifles while riding them. Your find proves that trained monkeys were actually used in battle during the Civil War! Now that's a technological advance!!!

Seriously...I'm REALLY interested in seeing some pics after the dirt is all off. Are you sure it's copper and not brass?

Buckleboy

 

[Monty]

Belated guess, but it looks somewhat like a ladies' temperance movement design. Perhaps posted to keep the soldiers from drinking? Monty

 

[stefen]

Monty,

Remember your meds...and go take a nap.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Any better photo for us after the dirt is off?

 

[Montana Jim]

This is obviously the lone surviving belt plate of the 12th Confederate Infantry Bicycle Regiment. (The bicycle was invented by a Confederate think-tank and then the knowledge was lost for a few decades after the fall of Richmond. Kinda like Geometry after the fall of Rome.) The find is...priceless. They were even planning on training monkeys to load and fire Springfield rifles while riding them. Your find proves that trained monkeys were actually used in battle during the Civil War! Now that's a technological advance!!!

Seriously...I'm REALLY interested in seeing some pics after the dirt is all off. Are you sure it's copper and not brass?

Buckleboy

Buckleboy!!! You have NO idea how close to the truth you might be... I dont mean about monkeys, I mean about the bicycles... if anyone is interested in the FACT that Indian War soldiers were actually... well... see the quote:

"Although the first people to take credit for the mountain bike craze claim to have conquered steeps and narrows in the past two decades, the REAL first mountain bikers conquered the West 100 years ago. And they weren't white males with a median age of 40 and a median income of $50,000. They were 20 black men on soldiers' wages who burrowed themselves spokes-deep into the Rocky Mountains and Midwestern plains of the United States.

On June 14, 1897, Lieutenant James Moss, U.S. Army, led his bicycle corps of the 25th Infantry, from Fort Missoula, Montana, up wagon trail and Indian path, to St. Louis, Missouri, arriving July 16, 1897. As cycle tourists go, these guys had grit! They jolted down dusty trails and nonexistent paths of the Old West, often pushing and carrying their one-speed steel steeds."

From this link... check it out! http://www.highonadventure.com/Hoa97aug/Montana/montana.htm