Unsure

[Daisy312]

Hi guys, I am new to this site, and a pretty amature metal detector. But, I've been at it for about a year now. I was detecting on our property, our house was built in the 1800's. I found this today and I have no clue what it is. There are no numbers, no letters, nothing for me to search online. So, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! *I had to shrink the picture down to upload, I am holding it in the palm of my hand. I initially thought ash tray, but it is only about an 1/8 inch deep.*

 

[dave5710]

Lol, back when I was a kid. Nestles' quick came in a cardboard box with a metal bottom and a 2 piece metal top. The lid was a rectangular piece of metal looking something like yours and the indented part fit into the hole in the top of the Quick box. I would guess what you have worked the same way, but with a different product. crackers use to come in tins, or coffee perhaps. Is the round part about 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter? Or I could be way off base.

 

[Daisy312]

The diameter of the circle is 1 1/2 inches. Thank you for the suggestion, I know what you are reffering to. I will have to do some digging online to see if I can find something. I am just impressed by the intricate design on it, that's what really makes me wonder.

 

[dave5710]

You might look at some spice containers. Sounds like it is only big enough to get a teaspoon into. I think the design is pretty fancy for a lid too. That was the first thing that came to mind when I saw it, since it is so shallow. It could be a coaster for a shot glass. I am interested in finding out for sure. Good luck with your search.

 

[Aarong81]

Did anyone notice the water scene and swan? That may be a clue to the ID.

 

[Aarong81]

It may be a Stamped Recessed Pocket Door Pull like this....
http://www.vintagehardware.com/prodimages/28011-1195853873.jpg
http://www.vintagehardware.com/proddetail.php?prod=28011&cat=5
or....
http://img0.signaturehardware.com/images/hardware/3/13771_bb.jpg
http://www.signaturehardware.com/product13771
or...

http://www.auroramills.com/cart/cartpics/1756.HA571%20Recessed%20Pocket%20Door%20Pull%20Roanoke%20by%20Corbin.jpg

http://www.auroramills.com/cart/item.php?id=1756

Or....
http://www.urbanremainschicago.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/2/0/20120327-022m.jpg

http://www.urbanremainschicago.com/original-early-20th-century-stamped-ornamental-bronze-metal-mura-pattern-residential-pocket-door-backplate.html

or...
http://www.urbanremainschicago.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/2/0/20120304-010m.jpg

http://www.urbanremainschicago.com/heavily-ornamented-late-19th-century-american-gothic-revival-cast-brass-interior-residential-pocket-door-backplate.html

 

[Aarong81]

And another idea is Victorian window sash lift.

http://www.columbusarchitecturalsalvage.com/maint/photos/5776.jpg
http://www.columbusarchitecturalsalvage.com/catalogdetail.php?inv_id=5776

http://www.salvagelady.com/ProdImages/BrassSashLift-3_640w.jpg
http://www.salvagelady.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=359

http://www.ppcollectiblesandantiques.com/catalog/!BuJBT4QCWk~$%28KGrHqMH-EEEvrJ7FYH!BLEG9,UKQ~~0_1_1677_1.JPG
http://www.ppcollectiblesandantiques.com/servlet/the-1677/Victorian-Hardware-Norwalk-Antique/Detail

My guess is the pocket door handle, most window sash lifts are oval or square. I have seen a few round pocket door handles.

 

[Daisy312]

Thanks everyone so much! The door pull def looks like the closest resembling thing. There just aren't any holes for screws to attach it, but I think possibly it could have been glued? I never even would have thought of that. Either way, pretty cool!

 

[dave5710]

Swan cake flour has been around along time, as far as the lid idea is concerned. The thought of it being a door pull, is a good one, but with it being that shallow, I would think that fingers would slip out of it easily, and we wouldn't want to break a nail. Is the back completely smooth?

 

[Daisy312]

Yes the back is smooth, I attatched a pic. And now that I'm home and able to touch it, you are right, it is pretty shallow to pull on. But I still think its the closest thing to an solution. The deeper this discussion goes, the more intrigued I am to find out what it is!!!!

 

[Aarong81]

Maybe it fit in the end of a cardboard tube like a roll of cloth or wallpaper. It seems to look like the 4 corners are designed to give your hand something to grip onto while twisting it off of something. If so, it may have been re-usable for whatever it was made for. If it was some type of lid for a container it would most likely have been made of tin/zinc or aluminum. This looks like copper. (IS IT JUST YOUR FLASH THAT MAKES THE BOTTOM APPEAR TO BE A WHITE METAL?) As early as 1860's the government realized copper was too expensive to make large cents with it. This is stamped metal so I would guess it was made after the CW but there is no way to know how modern except for the patina which appears to be 100ish years old. Ground minerals greatly vary and make patina aging a silly guess.

 

[dave5710]

I found a Swan bar soap, on the internet, but it is like the soap we use today, so I don't think it is a soap dish. I also wondered about it being a spoon rest or a change/coin caddy, but haven't found anything that looks close to it in those catagories either.

 

[Daisy312]

There is a plating on it that gives it the white (silver) metal appearance on the back, it isnt magnetic. There is some green hues of oxidation on the front of it, now that you mention copper. Is there any type of cleaning chemical I can use to give it a good cleaning? (without compromising the integrity of it) I only used warm water and a tooth brush. Maybe we can get a better look at it.

 

[ACEinOZ]

I wonder if that "hand mirror" like shape in the design in the top-left & bottom-right corner might be a clue to what it was used for.