I went looking for a rectangular brass club token...

[Subterranean]

Well, I found a rectangular brass item, so "mission accomplished"...sort of...

So close...yet so far. I went hunting a large, rectangular-shaped, brass token that our club (417 Relic Hunters) hides/buries within a park in the large metropolitan area nearby. I processed all three of our clues. I researched the area and made a hypothetical guess as to the park with the greatest probability. And within that park, the areas most likely to produce the coveted token.

Imagine my bliss when getting a strong signal on my ATPro in an area with great promise, yes! It even registered a depth of four inches, this is it! I dig down and see the back of a big, rectangular brass plate, and think to myself, this was too easy, I have only been here ten minutes. Well, after excavating said brass plate I turn it over to see a funky art deco design and no markings indicating "417 Relic Hunters," ....ugh.

I took the plate home anyway, because it is "cool." The reverse has some older-style roman block numbers, "2834," I believe, and that is it. The plate is soaking in a peroxide spa at the moment. On the reverse, along each edge, is a small, machine made indentation, but NO evidence of it ever having any clasps, hooks, loops, or other findings attached to it. There in lies the mystery, what the heck is this thing that psyched me out? Happy Hunting, Sub

 

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[Breezie]

It looks like a brass Art Deco buckle.

Neat find
Breezie

 

[Subterranean]

Thanks Breezie, I just am scratching my head as to how it would have been attached to a belt. It may have had another metal frame around it, with the loops and hooks necessary to wear it? It was a fun find, to say the least. Sub

 

[Phil_The_Rodent]

I thought belt buckle at first also, but, also came to the conclusion that it would be hard to fix onto a belt.

I think those 4 notches on the edges of the back could be a clue to its origin -- but what that might be escapes me.

Perhaps the lid of a snuff box, where those notches would secure it to the middle of the box.

 

[CRUSADER]

Looks like a printing block, the notches help line it up.

 

[Subterranean]

Looks like a printing block, the notches help line it up.

Thanks Cru, I held this possibility in the back of my mind. With your suggestion, I will forward the photos to my uncle, a professional printer for his opinion. Happy Hunting, Sub