Need help identifying these little metal men...

[grafer]

I remember when I was younger, about 35-40 years ago, finding a couple of these around a barn in the neighborhood where I grew up, in a small NY town in the Hudson Valley. I was always told that they were attached to the barn and had fallen off, and that they were put on there for protection or good luck. I don't know how true this was, or if it was accurate. But, I do know that they were on the barn at some point in time. All of them that we ever found were around the barn.

The legs had points for feet and the hands were little circles. Each guy is about 3" tall and weigh approximate 20grams when complete. They have single digit numbers on their body (1, 4, 5, etc..). They appear to be cast bronze or brass but not sure.

Well, I last week I went back to visit my family and took my detector. I found about 11 more of them in the ground on the side of the barn, in various stages of condition. I've searched the web over the years and have not been able to find out anything about these little guys. Has anyone ever seen them? Or seen any information on them?

Thanks in advance for any help ...
Ron

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

How to Research for Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting From Lead Generation to Vetting - Grab it through Amazon!

[IronSpike]

I think they could have faced in either direction. I do agree that a bracket of sorts would have been needed.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[grafer]

I think they could have faced in either direction. I do agree that a bracket of sorts would have been needed.

Have to admit, you may be right about these ... thanks for your help. Wish I could find a picture of one of these to positively identify them. But that may be an impossible task. Especially if they are custom made..

 

[IronSpike]

I'm not convinced myself that they are snow guards. It's just the best explanation I can think of.

Any chance you can talk to some of the 'old timers' next time you visit the place?

They may be right that these were 'good luck barn figures'. Nothing more and nothing less. In any event they are really cool relics

 

[grafer]

I'm not convinced myself that they are snow guards. It's just the best explanation I can think of.

Any chance you can talk to some of the 'old timers' next time you visit the place?

They may be right that these were 'good luck barn figures'. Nothing more and nothing less. In any event they are really cool relics

Thanks, it's a plausible explanation, but I'll keep investigating too ... yeah I always thought they were cool too. Unfortunately there are no old timers in the neighborhood anymore, other than my parents

 

[lostcauses]

They look more like toys. Maybe a kind that just flipped. Neat items what ever they may be.

 

[Bridge End Farm]

They look more like toys. Maybe a kind that just flipped. Neat items what ever they may be.

I thought that what it was too at first but he has too many of them and other homes also

one like this came to my mind at first only metal

 

[Cruisin]

What a strange & very cool find! I sure hope someone comes up with an answer.

 

[IronSpike]

Another thouhgt on a roof device. Does the barn have an opening at the top of the rafters for ventilation? Could they men have work as a scarecrow device being strung on metal wire in roof opening? Hung on thin wire a with movement in breeze.

 

[grafer]

Interesting idea ... Not vents... but the roof does have approximately 10 dormers down each side for the length of the barn ... maybe they were some decoration on the dormers?

 

[IronSpike]

Maybe 2 Pinocchio's and 1 wire would act as a 'bird spike device' for each dormer?

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...tbnw=99&prev=/images?q=bird+spikes&hl=en&um=1

 

[curbdiggercarl57]

Plehbah?

 

[grafer]

I found that I had a picture of the barn where I found the little men. It's been restored by the current owners, but you can get an idea of the size and layout. You can ignore the two guys in front of it ..

 

[lostcauses]

One could wonder if they were not making such there. Seem to be a cast in one piece item. Some one making toys on that site maybe??

 

[IronSpike]

They could have made toys at location. Somehow I'm still stuck on it being attached to the barn

Could they have been a dry line device between the dormers?

 

[IronSpike]

Or maybe decorative seasonable wire display. They would look cool for Christmas if lights were included

 

[grafer]

They could have made toys at location. Somehow I'm still stuck on it being attached to the barn

Could they have been a dry line device between the dormers?

I tend to agree with them being attached to the barn somehow ... mainly because that's been a consistant message I've received over the last 30 years ... as I believe, historically, it has always been a farm, sheep or dairy, and have never hear anything about manufacture or toys. Great thought and observation though ... the men do seem to be single cast metal.

 

[chipveres]

Here is an off-the-wall suggestion: They are the 12 Lords a-Leaping from the Christmas song. It explains the numbers and the pointed leg posture. The hands went to a string, wire or other mechanism to make then leap.

Chip V.
P.S. If there's a number 13 I'm out of gas.

 

[IronSpike]

Chipveres,

I believe you're spot on as far as representation of the 12 Pinocchio's (lords).

 

[SurfaceLevel]

Actually, I thought it was 10 Lords a leaping, and 12 Drummers Drumming?

These little fellas are quite curious...

 

[grafer]

Here is an off-the-wall suggestion: They are the 12 Lords a-Leaping from the Christmas song. It explains the numbers and the pointed leg posture. The hands went to a string, wire or other mechanism to make then leap.

Chip V.
P.S. If there's a number 13 I'm out of gas.

When I got home today I went down and did a tally of men to the numbers on their sides. Here are the tally's ...
#1 - 2 men
#3 - 2 men
#4 - 2 men
#5 - 3 men
#7 - 1 man
#8 - 2 men

Since they seem to be cast I'm wondering if these could be a mold number? Since most of them are not complete its kind of hard to determine if there are any subtle differences from one number to another. I've been searching the web like crazy and am still coming up blank...frustrating ....It would help if I knew what to search for, but I'll keep trying anything that comes to mind...