Trying to find out what it is

[Badger 5]

Hi All
I found this in North Nevada by old R & R tracks late 1800s to early 1900s Its metal. Looks like a big kids jacks The weight is 2.1 OZ. There does not appear to have any wear like a gear,It is weathered.
I don't know, any thoughts

Thanks Mark

 

[Badger 5]

Here's some more pic's,

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Thank you for making and posting additional photos. Wow... a very-rare version, having 7 arms. So rare that I didn't bother to mention that kind. (For ease of manufacturing, it's much simpler to make them have an even number of arms ...thus they almost always have 6 or 8.)

But notice, like a 6 or 8-arm one, it won't sit with one arm pointing straight-upward. For a caltrop, landing with one spine straight-upward (no matter how you toss it on the ground) is a must, or it won't "impale" whatever steps on it.

 

[Badger 5]

Thanks CannonballGuy
Its has one tip wore off pretty good. The place I found it was 6" down,It would be in water on wetter winters.

Thanks for your time to look at it.

Badger5

 

[Badger 5]

To All
I would like to say thank you to all that responded. All your Info. and knowledge is just great.

Badger 5

 

[Dave44]

I do not know if it is a caltrop but the premise works well, and in fact it would work great on pavement or hard ground. But the definition of hard ground is variable. It is relatively easy to cripple a horse despite what a "vet" might have said. Not that I would condone such a thing. Trim the hoof a hair to much, clean the frog wrong or just get a small cut under the hoof and see if it doesn't get a tendon sheath infection.
I do not understand why soldiers would not have used such a device, we hear of many atrocities worse than this in war.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Dave44 wrote:
> I do not understand why soldiers would not have used such a device, we hear of many atrocities worse than this in war.

I answered that in one of my previous posts in this discussion. (Apparently, my informational posts are so lengthy that some people don't bother to read them.)

Okay, here's a short(er) post:
You may already know that one of the topmost reasons that metal-detectors were invented was for finding and removing dangerous Military objects. Prior to that invention, you didn't want to use metal caltrops/crows-feet on your own territory -- or territory you hope to permanently conquer. Metal caltrops don't rot. Decades after the war is over, metal caltrops will still be harming civilians (or your own soldiers) who walk or ride on the land you sowed with hundreds of caltrops. During all the centuries before metal-detectors, when grass or weeds overgrow the caltrops after a few weeks, how are you going to find them for removal?

 

[creskol]

I do not know if it is a caltrop but the premise works well, and in fact it would work great on pavement or hard ground. But the definition of hard ground is variable. It is relatively easy to cripple a horse despite what a "vet" might have said. Not that I would condone such a thing. Trim the hoof a hair to much, clean the frog wrong or just get a small cut under the hoof and see if it doesn't get a tendon sheath infection.
I do not understand why soldiers would not have used such a device, we hear of many atrocities worse than this in war.

Let's pretend for a minute that they did use caltrops, even though it isn't documented anywhere: They would have been of solid cast construction, which this one doesn't appear to be. This one appears to be folded and segmented as evidenced in the last photo posted above.

Here are some other rather amusing photographs

 

[Dave44]

Sorry cannonball. Maybe I did get lazy and quit reading . But if I were a soldier passing through and thought that the enemy was closing, I bet I would think of self preservation first, and future land use last. But I really find this interesting without the least scrap of knowledge, so I bow to your research sir

 

[Iron Patch]

I think it's a jacktrop, used to cripple kids on the playground. Great when detecting for modern change around the swings!

 

[Pull_tab_mike]

http://www.proxibid.com/asp/LotDetail.asp?ahid=2500&aid=24915&lid=6951361#1

Copy paste into internet search.....

this one has six points as the one in your picture....

yours is heavly rusted or that other long word...lol.... as to this one it looks like it has been inside most of it's life


PTM

 

[Dave44]

I think it's a jacktrop, used to cripple kids on the playground. Great when detecting for modern change around the swings!

I do not detect at tot lots because I do not have the patience to take the time to throw these things out, and the amount needed would be kinda heavy. I need all my strength to carry all the poptops and shotgun shells. O my havin to answer a bunch of kids and seem like I am not a grumpy old guy!
That only works for a short time before I run off screaming. What if I forgot my detector? No sir, not me, you all can have it and more power to you.

 

[Iron Patch]

I think it's a jacktrop, used to cripple kids on the playground. Great when detecting for modern change around the swings!

I do not detect at tot lots because I do not have the patience to take the time to throw these things out, and the amount needed would be kinda heavy. I need all my strength to carry all the poptops and shotgun shells. O my havin to answer a bunch of kids and seem like I am not a grumpy old guy!
That only works for a short time before I run off screaming. What if I forgot my detector? No sir, not me, you all can have it and more power to you.

No one bothers me at the type of places I hunt!

 

[ohioaxeman]

I think it's a jacktrop, used to cripple kids on the playground. Great when detecting for modern change around the swings!

 

[creskol]

http://www.proxibid.com/asp/LotDetail.asp?ahid=2500&aid=24915&lid=6951361#1

Copy paste into internet search.....

this one has six points as the one in your picture....

yours is heavly rusted or that other long word...lol.... as to this one it looks like it has been inside most of it's life


PTM

What it boils down to is that there are two schools of thought about these; there are those who insist that these things are caltrops based on hearsay, despite the absence of any documented history, and then there are those who insist that they are not caltrops because there is no documented history to support that theory.