🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Gear made from a one cent copper? Year ID?

Underwonder

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I found this gear which seemed pretty substantial and when I cleaned it up, it appears to have leaves and letters. I have twisted and turned it in the light and it seems to say “ONE CENT” and have a wreath. The onverse is more difficult to see. My best guess is between 1796 and 1804 penny based on the face looking right, and the distinctive patch of hair bumped out in the middle… Any other ideas on this date? …or why a gear was fashioned from a penny? and for what purpose? Thanks!


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pepperj

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I'm liking the find a lot.
The repurposing of a LC into a functional item is so cool.
Got one cent they have a replacement-cost effective-as they might had to go to town (miles and miles away) or it just wasn't available and had to be ordered in.
Though I'm thinking it was made into a pastry jigger.
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Underwonder

Underwonder

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I am going to guess it was made to replace a missing rowel off of a cowboys spur.
Thanks, RJGMC. Interesting thought and thanks for the new vocabulary word for me…rowel…
 

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DizzyDigger

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I think you nailed it down as close as you will get as to what year it is. Quite likely made to replace a clock gear, I think the teeth are way too small for use as a spur rowel.

Not so much, really. I can't imagine anyone actually using those big spikes (teeth) on a horse, although there were people who did. Grew up with horses, and never once had to use spurs to get a horse to move. I did have a pair of blunt spurs, but don't recall any time when I wore them.

When you need a small gear, a round copper disk makes it ideal to be fashioned by someone with minimal tools available.
 

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Underwonder

Underwonder

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I'm liking the find a lot.
The repurposing of a LC into a functional item is so cool.
Got one cent they have a replacement-cost effective-as they might had to go to town (miles and miles away) or it just wasn't available and had to be ordered in.
Though I'm thinking it was made into a pastry jigger.
View attachment 1990841
So many good ideas! Thanks, Pepperj! I have always wanted to find a holed coin but this was pretty ingenious. I was happy I inspected it closely and found the detail to know it was from a coin. It just felt thicker than other gears I have found. Thanks for the pic.!
 

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l.cutler

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There is absolutely no way this would work in a clock....the percision needed just to allow the mechanism to spin, let alone keep time, is quite high.
Yes, looking at it some more I would have to agree. The more I think about it, the more I would think it is one of those pie crust perforator tools. I have seen large cents made into them before, still on the handle. The hole in the center just seems to small to be a spur rowel, but I am not that familiar with them. I suppose anything we come up with is just conjecture anyway, the only people who know for sure are the ones who made and used it, and they are long gone! Still fun to hash it out though.
 

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Underwonder

Underwonder

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1st thing I thought was homemade whirligig/ buzz saw toy, but I have never seen an example w/ a single hole, but then I havent seen many of these :icon_scratch:
Cool, RedLeaf! Thanks for the image too.
 

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Underwonder

Underwonder

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Back-of-the-boat

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Very cool find I think whatever it's use was it was very ingenious to repurpose a penny. I actually have done it with two pennies to fix my overall straps they folded to the same size and shape as the piece that broke off.
 

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Underwonder

Underwonder

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