Tag from Northfield, Minn

[Wobbleshank]

Wondering if anyone can help me ID this tag, found on an 1870's farm in Minnesota.

 

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[vpnavy]

Dang that is a tough one. So many businesses in Northfield in the 1800's. Nothing identifies it to a company. This is a tough one.

 

[tamrock]

If you Google search, old brass railroad shipping tags, you'll find so many examples that look like what you have. I can only think that might be what it is. Maybe it was once attached to a crate or mail bag, loaded with everything that was going to Northfield Minnesota?? Thing is these brass tag were and still are used in so many ways. Heck I sell them to the mines still to be used as personal ID tags with the miners employee number. I even had an issue a few months ago over brass tags with a custom who ordered some and said we sent ones that were to large and won't fit on their brass board. I took this picture to send to our buyer to show him what I need as he was ordering ones to large and I need smaller ones.

 

[Iron Buzz]

If you Google search, old brass railroad shipping tags, you'll find so many examples that look like what you have. I can only think that might be what it is. Maybe it was once attached to a crate or mail bag, loaded with everything that was going to Northfield Minnesota?? Thing is these brass tag were and still are used in so many ways. Heck I sell them to the mines still to be used as personal ID tags with the miners employee number. I even had an issue a few months ago over brass tags with a custom who ordered some and said we sent ones that were to large and won't fit on their brass board. I took this picture to send to our buyer to show him what I need as he was ordering ones to large and I need smaller ones.

Do railroad shipping tags ever have the year stamped on them?

 

[tamrock]

Do railroad shipping tags ever have the year stamped on them?

I don't know. That's probably something you could look up and maybe find an answer? Who's to say that number is for the year 1882 then again maybe it means Week 52 of the Year 1882, which would be the last week of the year? Brass tags back then are like what bar codes and RFID systems are today used to track and identify all kinds of things.

 

[cudamark]

Looks like it was riveted to something......leather maybe? Possible dog tag? I don't recall seeing any baggage tag, tool tag, or mining tag that had rivets, but, I'm no expert on them.

 

[Iron Buzz]

Paging oddcoins

 

[Wobbleshank]

Looks like it was riveted to something......leather maybe? Possible dog tag? I don't recall seeing any baggage tag, tool tag, or mining tag that had rivets, but, I'm no expert on them.

Yes, it was riveted to leather. There's still some between the rivets.