Cramps Shipbuilding Co. Safety Pin - Silver - Interesting Historical Find!

[Elad]

I found this approximately 30 miles east of Philadelphia, in the middle of the woods. It measures 1" across.

The moment I found it, the sky turned black and it started pouring rain! An omen??

First, a little history :

Founded in 1825, the William Cramp and Sons Shipbuilding Company of Philadelphia was a major iron shipbuilder for the U.S. Navy in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Closed in 1927, it was reopened by the Navy in 1940 to build cruisers and submarines. Cramps closed for the second and final time in 1947. Cramps launched the USS Roncador on May 14, 1944.

Some historical pictures I found :




And here is the Pin :




If anyone has an educated guess or happens to know how old it is, please let me know! (I'm guessing 1940's?)

*UPDATE : 1940's indeed! So the hole and the other indented anomaly was probably from a pin that was attachted. I still believe that someone wore this around their neck attactched to a rope, which explains why they bothered to make a hole and file down the other pin mount.

Scrolling down you can see a few other pins that accompanied this one during the same era from the same shipyard.

 

[Elad]

Re: Cramps Shipbuilding Co. Safety Token - Silver - Interesting Historical Find!

Very interesting piece. It seems to have had two integrally cast pieces projecting from the back at one time.

Is the hole from a bullet?

If it is a bullet hole, it's a really small caliber - I matched it up with a .22 caliber bullet and the hole is too small for it.

I figured whoever owned this thing put the hole there to wear it on a necklace or rope?

 

[Varady NW FL]

Re: Cramps Shipbuilding Co. Safety Token - Silver - Interesting Historical Find!

Hi Elad,
My dad was a welder for 30 or more years and he left in his things a couple of pins
that he wore at work. The pin is from the 40's as you say and I think that the two holes are
where the pin was attached. He was a united steel worker it is a pin that was well known
back then and you had to wear them to get through the gate where they worked.
Really Great Find !
Here is a couple of pics of his pin from the same shipyard and dues button pin.
Again to ya good job and happy hunting !
Varady

 

[liftloop]

Re: Cramps Shipbuilding Co. Safety Token - Silver - Interesting Historical Find!

 

[Elad]

Re: Cramps Shipbuilding Co. Safety Token - Silver - Interesting Historical Find!

Hi Elad,
My dad was a welder for 30 or more years and he left in his things a couple of pins
that he wore at work. The pin is from the 40's as you say and I think that the two holes are
where the pin was attached. He was a united steel worker it is a pin that was well known
back then and you had to wear them to get through the gate where they worked.
Really Great Find !
Here is a couple of pics of his pin from the same shipyard and dues button pin.
Again to ya good job and happy hunting !
Varady

Cool, thanks for sharing! I can't help but wonder how the pin got out there in the middle of the woods....