Possible Civil War Find. What is it?

[Poptopagain]

I was out detecting at the local backyard battlefield and came across this. At first I thought that it was a piece of twisted electrical wire and threw it on the trash side of my pouch. After several days of being in the pouch, I took a closer look at it and realized that it was solid brass not insulated copper wire. There is a very dark patina on it. So I'm thinking that it was civil war related based on its age and location found. I'm not sure what it belongs to and asked a buddy to look in his artifact book. Does anyone know what this is? Or what it belongs to?

I threw a quarter in the pic for a size reference.

Thanks!

 

[Poptopagain]

Definitely Copper!

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

Ive found alot of these and even found one that was still connected to some old rail road glass insulators

 

[Curious The George]

I'm going for it being part of the grounding wire for a lightning rod.

 

[taz42o]

So I guess i cant prove it was used before 1861,Yet, but can you prove it was not? Not trying to say your wrong just trying to learn.

Greetings taz...I am not here to prove a negative, that something was not used during a certain time period. I used my 1930 Klein Tools catalog as an example that the twisted sleeve method was still employed. My oldest Klein Tools catalog (1907) shows basically the same sleeves and the tools used to twist them, as the 1930.

Iron/galvanized iron wire would have been the wire used, I believe

You made a very good ID With pics to back it up.
I was just exploring the possibility that it could be that old.(mid 1800s). Something I did learn is klein made tools for western union in 1861 and other companies back to 1857. I always learn many different things researching a sometimes simple item like a piece of copper wire.
Great ID and great example.
Taz.