found coin or whatever civil war site

[civil_war22]

Found a coin about the size of penny with large star and small stars around big star. Please help id

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Your small brass disc is from the wick-height adjuster on an oil/kerosene lamp. Note the small square hole at its center, which enbled the disc to grip and turn the wick-height adjuster's shaft.

 

[civil_war22]

Well reason i ask is the square hole in it is the same size as a square nail i found in same hole. I have found a civil war token out here that was similar size. This is exact size of modern penny and has what looks to be homemade engraving on back

 

[CC Hunter]

My thoughts concur with TheCannonballGuy on this item. The size, shape, and uniform edges on the square hole, are consistent with what is seen on turn knobs for wick adjustment on lamps of the mid through late 19th Century, and even into the early 20th Century. Often these knobs have reeded edges to assist in finger grip, and when found individually, resemble small coins or tokens.

A square nail punched through a coin or token, will leave a deformed surface, with the edges of the hole pulled down on the side of first puncture, and then pushed out on the opposite side. My very first Flying Eagle penny found, had a hole in the center, apparently caused by a square nail being hammered through. The coin and the hole both were rather on the rough side.

CC Hunter

 

[civil_war22]

Ok took pics to compare size. Its bigger than wick adjuster on lamp found from same site and the hole is pretty crude. The back is wore smooth and side with stars is marred where the hole was punched through. Almost like shooting a bullet through soda can.

 

[DirtyMike]

Even though the size is off I'm going to go with the adjuster theory. I'm sure there could have been different size lamp adjusters. Or maybe and adjuster for something else. But the square slot in the center indicates it was used as an adjuster of some sort to me.

 

[civil_war22]

Anyone got a pic of a wick adjuster like these. I have found 8 lamps around the area in a camp i found but none had this size. All were dime size adjusters. This was found along with five or six square nails and there was 4 dropped .69 caliber mini balls about a foot and a half away. About 10 foot away i found a wedding band with lh and 1860 in it and a badly burned half dime

 

[civil_war22]

Also found this one inch by 1/2 chunk of lead, and a big piece of hotchkiss sabot too

 

[civil_war22]

Pretty sure the piece of lead was from canister shot

 

[Gunrunner61]

I gotta say the round piece is a wick adjuster knob.......HH

 

[civil_war22]

Trying to get this picture off a guy here locally that has two of them. His are identical to mine. His doesn't have holes. He was suggesting it may have been a charm or luck coin and someone turned it into a makeshift adjuster

 

[DirtyMike]

Trying to get this picture off a guy here locally that has two of them. His are identical to mine. His doesn't have holes. He was suggesting it may have been a charm or luck coin and someone turned it into a makeshift adjuster

I would be interested in the pics of the others. Are both sides marked identical?

 

[civil_war22]

The other side has some sort of engraving on it. I am soaking it in olive oil as we speak to see if i can make it out

 

[Broken knee]

The engraving is most likely the Co. and pat. info? As stated it is a wick adjusting wheel, many different sizes were made. HH
BK

 

[civil_war22]

No it's a homemade carved fish.almost like a Jesus fish