Observations:
At 1-inch "tall" and 5/8th-inch wide, this object is a lot smaller than any saddle-shield I've ever seen.
Also, saddle-shields do not have that staple-shaped attachment on them.
In fact, the staple-shaped attachment is the crucial identification clue for this object.
I believe Creskol is correct... the object is the hasp for a carpetbag's "integral" lock. (Integral meaning, it is built-in to the carpetbag, not a separate, detachable lock, like you'd put into your pocket when it wasn't being used.)
About the staple-shaped attachment:
The photo below shows a carpetbag-lock on an original civil war era carpetbag. The shield-shaped hasp is riveted onto the carpet flap and its staple-shaped attachment fits into the rectangular slot on the lock. Turning the key in the lock causes an internal tab to move through the staple-shaped attachment, locking the bag's flap in place, like a ladies' purse flap gets secured by a turn-catch.
Some eagle-eyed person among you will say, waitaminnit, the upper edge of Ripcon's shield-shaped hasp is curved inward, and Creskol's edge is straight. Ripcon's edge is curved inward to enable it to fit snugly up against the circular dome (with keyhole) at the lock's center.
In closing, I must mention, it's possible that Ripcon's shield-shaped "flap lock" hasp component was used on something other than a carpetbag's flap... but the locking "mechanism" is the same, regardless of whether it was used on a carpetbag or saddlebag or purse's flap.
