Heel plate? Oil tap? Mercury button?

[diggingthe1]

I haven’t found much lately. Here are a few finds from way back I have been curious about. Maybe the heel plate is off a gun? It has been through my tumbler. . I would love to have found a beer tap but I don’t know enough about them to say for sure. The large button is silver, maybe just a fashion piece, it is Mercury? Let me know what you think!!! Thanks in advance!!! Happy Hunting!

 

[Toecutter]

Them are some neat finds, awesome!!

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Barrel tap, early 1800’s. whiskey, wine, or beer. Heel plate for shoes, early 1800’s looks unused. Mercury piece looks like it has an old style (1800’s) button shank. Nice finds!

 

[diggingthe1]

Thanks pa-dirt for the information, my detecting career seems more complete, having the tap in my case! Thanks toecutter!

 

[A2coins]

The heel plate looks more like a lock plate cover. Great old relics hope you get IDS. Tommy

 

[diggingthe1]

The heel plate looks more like a lock plate cover. Great old relics hope you get IDS. Tommy

You might be right Tommy, it is small for a heel plate unless it is for a child. Happy Hunting!

 

[Reanm8er]

The Mercury token could be a representation re the Florist's Telegraph Delivery. It's a national
network of florists that facilitate the delivery of fresh flowers to remote locations. You walk into
your local florist, pick out the flowers a card and tell them the intended addressee. They send
out a telegram or a phone call to find a florist in the area who can deliver them.

 

[diggingthe1]

The Mercury token could be a representation re the Florist's Telegraph Delivery. It's a national
network of florists that facilitate the delivery of fresh flowers to remote locations. You walk into
your local florist, pick out the flowers a card and tell them the intended addressee. They send
out a telegram or a phone call to find a florist in the area who can deliver them.

Thanks Reanm8ber, I enjoyed reading about the companies history. They started out in 1910, and had their mercury man logo made in 1914. It doesn’t seem to match but maybe it was a button for there uniforms, who knows. I appreciate your post!!! Thanks!

 

[Reanm8er]

Well, you know in that time it could have been a button for their smock or even a set of cufflinks? Perhaps
an achievement award? Or a set of promotional cufflinks for salesmen for Ford's Mercury division?

 

[Plug N Play]

One sold on eBay, they said it was rare.

 

[diggingthe1]

Thanks Reanm8ber, I sure like the ideas! Thanks Plug, I didn’t think of looking on eBay for one. I couldn’t find it in my search, what words did you use? I am curious about the listing. I think mine will clean up a little better! Thanks

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

You might be right Tommy, it is small for a heel plate unless it is for a child. Happy Hunting!

Definitely not a lock plate cover... and no, it is not "small for a heel plate unless it is for a child." Being a litle smaller than 2"-wide and having a cutout design means it is from an 1880s-to-early-1900s "ladies' tall shoe" heel. See the photos below.

The "Ladies' tall shoe" with heart-cutout heelplate in the photos was found deeply buried in an 1880s town dump, in Colorado.

Those photos were made by its finder, a dump-digger named Marty, who posted them (and the site-dating info) at the now-defunct American Relic Hunters website, about 10 years ago.

By the way... those photos completely disprove the claims of various Ebay sellers that these small cutout design heelplates are civil war soldier heelplates.

Having such a narrow heel would cause the shoe or boot to sink deep into the ever-present mud at military campsites and entrenchments. That is why actual soldier shoes & boots ALWAYS have a wide heel. For example, take a look at actual civil war soldier footgear (enlisted-men's shoes, officer boots, etc.) on display at various museums.

 

[Plug N Play]

Thanks Reanm8ber, I sure like the ideas! Thanks Plug, I didn’t think of looking on eBay for one. I couldn’t find it in my search, what words did you use? I am curious about the listing. I think mine will clean up a little better! Thanks

This was all I had, diggingthe1, sorry.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/207658232794855042/

 

[diggingthe1]

Thanks Cannonballguy, I appreciate the response. The pictures sure help put it in perspective. I sure enjoy learning about these forgotten items! Thanks for taking the time to post the link Phil! I’ll have to clean mine up a little and find a place to display it!