Small Copper Disk with WWI Battleship

[Iron Buzz]

At least, I believe it is a WW I battleship. The disk is thin, 3/4" diameter, and there is nothing on the back. There is a hole drilled through at the top. Found today in the yard of an 1880's home.



I have no idea what purpose this would have served. There is no text on it anywhere. Any guesses? Has anybody seen one of these before?

Edit: This is the sort of ship that I think I see in it:

 

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[Old Pueblo]

There must have been a Span-Am War veteran that lived there.

 

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[Iron Buzz]

There must have been a Span-Am War veteran that lived there.

Not that I've been able to tell, although the homeowner did live there during that time period.

He immigrated in 1870 from Prussia. The house was built in 1882. He worked as a prison guard at the nearby territorial prison. He was married, and fathered a son and a daughter. He had a dog in 1889. I know because I found the dog tag. I found a newspaper article from 1892 that said he had been in a drunken fight and had two teeth knocked out and sustained partial deafness. But nothing about him going to war.

 

[DCMatt]

With the dates you mention I suspect he was too old to serve in the Spanish American War.

 

[lockster99]

The ship token with chain was sold to me as a probable Maine token. Obviously it has the wrong number of stacks. Glad I didn't pay much for it. So, alas......no story here.

As for being a hoarder.....I'm good with it.

 

[Iron Buzz]

Might be a heavy cruiser, more common for them to have 3 stacks.

BB-25 New Hampshire was a 3 stacked BB, twin masts too. Likely had sister ships of the same design.

Obviously, the embossing is rudimentary, but they probably would have got things like the number of stacks and masts right.

View attachment 1486750
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On 2nd thought, I'm not so sure they would have gotten it right. Photography was in its infancy. Newspapers were only lightly illustrated, and that with engravings, often based on verbal descriptions. Perhaps whoever made this medallion didn't know, or was using the more recent ship as his model.

I'd love to know for sure, but I'm guessing we can only speculate at this point.

 

[Iron Buzz]

View attachment 1486745
Here's a similar but different one, said to be the Maine (but not the one that sank, which had two stacks): Battleship Maine Pictured.
This was a link that Bigcypresshunter found when researching a (again) similar but different piece here: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/506942-old-coin-button-skull-cross-bones.html
So, maybe the 2nd U.S.S. Maine, but maybe not?

I just found another similar 3-stacked one, also claiming to the the USS Maine ("USS Battleship Maine Charm Token , Spanish American War"):