Military thingy?

[Wild Colonial Boy]

I don?t know what this is it?s definitely got a federal eagle on it but it?s really worn it?s probably about an inch and a quarter I found a very close to the 1812 Excelsior button And 241 cent

 

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[Tony in SC]

Looks like an inlay? From musket?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Although it does resemble an Inlay, it appears to be a very-antique padlock's broken-off brass keyhole-cover, a.k.a. dust-cover. Its manufacturer stamped an eagle onto it to tell a potential customer that it is US-made rather than a British-made import. (During and for about a decade or so after the War of 1812 (US-vs.-Britain), that mattered a lot to patriotic US customers.)

I should mention, "Smoke House Padlocks" (a body-style of padlock) date from before the civil war, during, and several decades after that war ended.

Scroll down the webpage at the following link and you'll see some "Smoke House Padlocks" which have a brass keyhole-cover similar to yours.
Smoke House Padlocks - Russell & Erwin Mfg Co

 

[Wild Colonial Boy]

Tony and cannonball thank you so much
Both very good possibilities
I remember reading also about US manufactured buttons including eagles in back marks around that period also
Some nice looking locks
If it is a swivel dust cover the pin must have rotted or rusted away as the back is completely flat
Would like to see what a good condition version of the one I found looked like

 

[ARC]

Not necessarily from a padlock... but could be from strongbox latch... but yes... a "keyhole cover" none the less.



Here is another example...

 

[Wild Colonial Boy]

Thank you
Now am going to look for the box��

 

[CRUSADER]

Thank you
Now am going to look for the box��

Thats far less likely than the padlock keyhole cover which it probably was.

 

[Wild Colonial Boy]

���� too true Cru

 

[invent4hir]

Wow, what a nice assortment of finds!

 

[islamoradamark]

Hope you find that box

 

[cannonball]

Here's a Picture of a few padlock that I dug. You can see the different covers