What is this?

[SquidRow]

It's a penny and a button?....Any help would be great.

 

[GB1]

we need better pics

 

[SquidRow]

Ok... I just started this endeavor....let me give it a another try

 

[RW]

Looks like part of a drywall anchor bolt to me. Maybe.

 

[DCMatt]

At least two of these have been posted on T-net in the last couple of years. One of them had significant wear on one side of the round center hole. We never ID'd them properly.

 

[DCMatt]

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/524304-colonial-cast-brass-thing.html

 

[bradyboy]

Looks like a adjustable foot to a chair or furniture - IMO

 

[Older The Better]

maybe way off but looks like those lock pieces you get when you are assembling cheap furniture, you slide the peg in one side then you turn the face with a screw driver and it locks the two pieces together.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/524304-colonial-cast-brass-thing.html

View attachment 1517075

That looks familiar! Thanks for letting me know about this other one Matt. I actually saw one on FB a few months ago too (if i remember correctly)... I'm going to try and see if I can find that post and if so, I will add that picture here too. Looking forward to seeing what other say about it.

 

[DCMatt]

Hmmm...

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Here is a 3rd one... the one from FB I mentioned. This one was from a colonial site too.



A bunch of people had theories on what it could be. I brought up my theory on the candle snuffer bell attachment. Some others had some compelling theories for a type of drawer pull escutcheon... possibly with a loop on it to explain the through holes on either side. What hangs me with that theory is why have a rectangular hole down the middle... it would have been harder to make and it would require a special screw to attach it (if it were part of a pull)



Hopefully at some point we can nail down a proper ID on what these things really are.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Hmmm...

View attachment 1518348

Thats very similar to my thought on the candle snuffer bell piece. Here are my comments on the FB post below. It would make sense that a small bell would be cast with a rectangular top piece and have a hole through it to bind it all together..



And possibly to a small hand held bell... not one just for putting out candles.

 

[steelheadwill]

Dcmatt and OutdoorAdv have it solved. I have recovered dozens of earlier cast bells, they almost invariably have a drilled tab at the top, similar to those on drilled shank buttons. (Not turrets, the simple tab style.)
Strange that I don't recall finding one of these 'whatsits' along with them��.
Size would vary from candlesnuffers to 4" diameter bells.
I hope to see a green check on this item which has stumped everyone for so long. (Or other evidence refuting the bell mount/spacer/swivel/ornamental attachment postulate.)
I'm convinced��

Thats very similar to my thought on the candle snuffer bell piece. Here are my comments on the FB post below. It would make sense that a small bell would be cast with a rectangular top piece and have a hole through it to bind it all together..

View attachment 1518349

And possibly to a small hand held bell... not one just for putting out candles.

 

[steelheadwill]

Addendum: possible reason that bells have not been found alongside the items in question,
1: bells tab broke, and owner retained bell.
2: previous detectorist got ears blown off discovering the bell, removed it, and didn't recheck hole.
Now there's a good reminder for us all, I pulled a semi key wheat in an extremely trashy ironfilled site,
heard the tiniest chirp still coming from the hole, pinpointing revealed an au noe-28 oak threepence,
and a CharlesII halfgroat.
Gotta double (and triple) check them holes ��

 

[DCMatt]

Not solved...

The Whatsit has the rectangle hole on top and the bells or snuffers have the handle attached at 90 degrees.

Also I can't see how a snuffer would have that kind of wear around the round hole.

Still researching...

 

[steelheadwill]

OutdoorAdv,
your pic has solved a personal whatsit that I recovered long ago, I have the rosettes and rings, and two guide tabs from bottom item, bar is missing though, Thanks!

 

[OutdoorAdv]

I have looked at 100's and 100's of bell pictures over this past year, trying to prove my hypothesis. The form fits the function, but I cant find contextual evidence to 100% prove that this thing is a bell finial.

So I'll throw something else out there. The top finial from a powder measurer



The slide is rectangular on some. Although the top finial on the first picture is a close match, this picture shows the rectangular slide. So, it could have received the rectangular piece through the finial and the loop to hang it went through the hole in the side and attached everything together.



Just another theory, but I don't have a 100% contextual picture to prove it. Mine came from a site that never saw electricity or plumbing and is miles from the closest electricity and plumbing. Mostly tombacs and colonial relics came from there, although the site did exist through the 1860s.

 

[steelheadwill]

I was thinking of wood handled bell wo the 90degree. Such as used by teachers and lol, town criers.
Why a rectangular lug from the handle into the whatsit, I don't know yet, seems a soft/low melt point metal
might have more holding power and structural strength than round, this pressed into undersized hole in wood bell handle, then whatsit heated until leadbased metal adhered to the inside of the whatsit, all without burning the wood.
I don't know sniffers, haha spellcheck got me😁 Snuffers, bells may have been designed to swing a bit, or begun to move from wear, is the wear described only shown on one example?
Hats off Matt for your thoroughness, I have much respect for your efforts, not to mention results, in this forum.
I am convinced that when greencheck appears for these, it will be bell related.
Also mention these items have been posted since at least mid2000s believe.

Not solved...

The Whatsit has the rectangle hole on top and the bells or snuffers have the handle attached at 90 degrees.

Also I can't see how a snuffer would have that kind of wear around the round hole.

Still researching...

 

[steelheadwill]

OutdoorAdv, are you looking for images of intact bells w the item?
Or recover bells w the "drilled shank" attachment point?
Intact bell w item attached would likely be proof, but I can say that 80+% of my bells have tab w hole.

 

[steelheadwill]

OutdoorAdv, you are right, I find no handbell examples w this what's it, I only spent 15 minutes, but this certainly lowers my confidence ��
I leave it to the experts now, Happy research and hunting all !