ID help on find...found on 1860s stagecoach line in Nebraska

[Diggitdaddy]

Need some sound ID help on this one. Found alongside a stagecoach road. Its a brass item, with a face and a cylinder. The cylinder has 3 adjustable slide grooves, and is an offset shape. I am leaning towards a key lock, but since the cylinder is offset so much, it may be a rotating piece from a small machine. Any ideas let me know thanks !

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[Professor of Engineering]

Interesting find.

 

[Diggitdaddy]

This has been identified by a friend. Its the top dispenser part to a gunpowder flask. It matches perfectly with photos and dimensions ! Here is an attached link that shows a sample flask with dispenser lid: https://www.ttmilitaria.com/product/cwr530/