Strangest iron item Ive found on an early colonial site

toasted · Mar 9, 2021

Box with a hinged lid with a latch on it with two studs sticking out the back. Everything from this site is at least 300 years old I would guess. Any ideas?

Fourman110 · Mar 9, 2021

What are the dimensions? Can you provide pics of other sides? Sort of has a match box look to it.

releventchair · Mar 9, 2021

Likely my imagination growing a flintlock on the lid allowing it to be a tinderbox or similar.

Gene Mean · Mar 9, 2021

Some kind of door hardware? The hinging doesn't make sense though.Somebody will get it.

EagleEye1 · Mar 10, 2021

Whatever that is looks cool and very interesting! One thing I am going to start doing, is go to museums and Heritage history displays etc and look at items of the time period and see if things I've found match up. I've found too many things that no idea on, but hope to via looking at items and even reproductions of things to get a possible clue or identification.

Gene Mean · Mar 10, 2021

Small portable heater?

JT · Mar 10, 2021

Almost appears to be an old gearbox of some sort, the second pic appears to show protrusions that are possibly rods going into the gearbox?

ANTIQUARIAN · Mar 11, 2021

It looks to have a sliding latch on top, so maybe a lockbox of sorts? :icon_scratch:

The two points on the back would have potentially have attached/bolted to a wall or a door.
Dave

Tpmetal · Mar 11, 2021

ANTIQUARIAN said:
It looks to have a sliding latch on top, so maybe a lockbox of sorts?
The two points on the back would have potentially have attached/bolted to a wall or a door.
Dave

i was thinking something like that, my first thought was old mail box, but it is far to small and doesn't fit the time range of the site. The 1700's is what throws me off.