Need some help

[alon]

Found this while on vacation in New Hampshire. It appears to be made of lead. There are multiple attachment points. It was in the center of an old road about a foot deep. The road was in Chester N. H.. I'm hoping someone can tell me what it is and what the letters might stand for.

 

[Mackaydon]

Reminds me of a trivet.
The design might be two large letters "P" and "C", with two small letters in the middle; like "co" for company.
Don.....

 

[LizardsKeep]

Lead would be too soft for those attachment devices. More likely to be pewter or pot metal maybe. I see the letters and agree that it may be a company logo since the “CO” is present. It may have been plated at one time also.

As to what it is … I don’t have any idea.

 

[AU24K]

Looks to me like something that was to be hammered into wood like on an old oak icebox, pie safe or some other type of furniture.

I have a hard time with monograms as far as seeing what the letters are or what order they are supposed to be in, but I'm sure someone here has the necessary skills to help with identification.

Best,
Scott

 

[LizardsKeep]

Yes. I remember now seeing decorative metal plates with those pins on them that were hammered into drawers as a decorative backing for the drawer pulls.

 

[SgtJim]

My best guess is it is from a Victorian carriage or casket monogramed logo plate. P. Carriage or Casket Co maybe Pontiac? I have hunted a lot of old roadways. I have found the best are the dirt roads that led to or from cemeteries. There use to be a good market for this type or hardware. Id use the 1820s atlas maps of towns and villages they showed dash lines for trails to the burying grounds hunt all the fringe area. Nice find Jim

 

[Mackaydon]

Any images, words or letters on the reverse?

 

[alon]

There are no markings on the back. There are 7 attachment points. I don't think it was a drawer pull or trivet.

 

[Bramblefind]

I was thinking maybe something from a carriage or car too..but being you found it in Chester, NH maybe the C is for Chester. Like "Chester Police Co" or something else with Chester

 

[BuckleBoy]

To me, it looks like the item has a thin brass skin. If the back is lead filled, then it's a piece of horse tack. Can I see a photo of the back? The multiple attachments have me thinking horse tack too. So that might point you in the right direction.

Regards,


Buckleboy

 

[LizardsKeep]

Just wondering, if It was attached to leather shouldn’t the tabs be bent over to hold it in place. I don’t think it would stay in leather, especially tack, with its suppleness and movement without the tabs being bent over. In wood they would remain as shown since they would have been hammered in straight.

yes, no, maybe?

 

[BuckleBoy]

Just wondering, if It was attached to leather shouldn’t the tabs be bent over to hold it in place. I don’t think it would stay in leather, especially tack, with its suppleness and movement without the tabs being bent over. In wood they would remain as shown since they would have been hammered in straight.

yes, no, maybe?

Not necessarily. The little wires are fairly flimsy on these types of ornaments, and who knows what they looked like after they were pulled off leather, or fell or ripped off by accident. Again--could you post a photo of the Back of your item?

Saddle ornaments from the Civil War era had such thin brass wires as well. All but one are broken off on the example below, which is listed in the book "Excavated Artifacts from Battlefields and Campsites of the Civil War 1861-1865 by Stanley Phillips:

 

[alon]

Here is a pic of the back of the piece. I hope it helps.

 

[LizardsKeep]

Just wondering, if It was attached to leather shouldn’t the tabs be bent over to hold it in place. I don’t think it would stay in leather, especially tack, with its suppleness and movement without the tabs being bent over. In wood they would remain as shown since they would have been hammered in straight.

yes, no, maybe?

Not necessarily. The little wires are fairly flimsy on these types of ornaments, and who knows what they looked like after they were pulled off leather, or fell or ripped off by accident. Again--could you post a photo of the Back of your item?

Saddle ornaments from the Civil War era had such thin brass wires as well. All but one are broken off on the example below, which is listed in the book "Excavated Artifacts from Battlefields and Campsites of the Civil War 1861-1865 by Stanley Phillips:

looking at the picture I see what you mean. The pins aren't anything like I thought just looking at the top of the piece.

 

[sniffer]

it looks like a company emblem that could have been attached to a carriage

 

[BuckleBoy]

Thank you for the additional photo. The lead filling and brass skin convince me even more now, wo I'm still holding to my guns on the horse tack decor.

Cheers,


Buckles

 

[alon]

When I examined the piece closely I don't see any brass skin. It appears to be cast lead with something added to stiffen it up. The attachment wires are not lead. I am really hopeful that someone will ID the piece.

 

[AU24K]

Thank you for the additional photo. The lead filling and brass skin convince me even more now, wo I'm still holding to my guns on the horse tack decor.

Cheers,


Buckles

After a second and third look, it appears that Buckles is right.
It would be hard to hammer this item into wood . The prongs look like they would have been bent over to attach to something leather tack related.

Best,
Scott

 

[LizardsKeep]

Not out of any stroke of genius or anything I will have to change my original opinion and go with the “something soft like leather tack” idea also since the pins do look too weak to be driven into anything hard.

 

[BuckleBoy]

In terms of the logo, it is P.C. company, or C.P company--but the bottom "arm" on the "P" may suggest that there is an "L" in the acronym too.

2nd half of the 19th c. I'd say.