Date Nails were used for showing ownership, treatment purposes, identification, sequencing poles and bridge timbers. Dating ties and poles for replacement purposes. Some nails show the height of a pole, or the wood it is made from. This is just a few of the many uses for Date Nails. http://www.nailhunter.com/
railroad tie or telephone pole nail -- both need to be replaced after a certain amount of time --thus their "dated" or marked --so you can keep track of em -date wize