Look What We Found Digging In The Yard. What Is It...Any Ideas?

[scloyd]

My house is over 100 years old and many times while digging I have found broken pieces of pottery/dishes, an axe head, a Buffalo/Indian Head nickel, brown embossed beer bottles...
Today while my grandson and I were digging we found this.



When I first picked it up I thought it was an antique stopper from a perfume bottle until I realized it's solid steel. I still think it's some sort of stopper/plug, but for what? Any ideas?

 

[kschatey]

I'm guessing that it's a finial, maybe from an old fence or iron bed.

 

[jaytex1969]

It looks like an ornate old bottle stopper to me.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

It's a 19th Century butt plug. BROBS can likely provide a lot more details.

 

[scloyd]

It looks like an ornate old bottle stopper to me.

View attachment 50108

View attachment 50107

That's what I first thought, but it's solid steel. What would they have used a solid steel stopper on? A steel bottle?

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Could be a Plumb bob.
It's missing the point, but not all plumb bobs are pointy.

 

[dmcmtk]

I'm guessing that it's a finial, maybe from an old fence or iron bed.

I'm going to go with this.

 

[Mr.Pink]

It's a 19th Century butt plug. BROBS can likely provide a lot more details.

Rotfl

 

[mawnansmiff]

You sure it's steel Scott? Is it magnetic?

Likely either a finial or plumb bob as suggested.

Regards,

Jay.?

 

[mikethompson]

Any ideas?

A plumb bob or fence part seem like good guesses to me. Interesting find Scott.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Could’ve been a finial off of a hitching post if it was found in the yard. ?‍

 

[scloyd]

You sure it's steel Scott? Is it magnetic?

Likely either a finial or plumb bob as suggested.

Regards,

Jay.?

Nope, not magnetic. I guess I should of checked that first...

There is a small chip in it that may be a clue to what it's made of.


it is quite heavy for it's size. It's about 2 1/2" tall by 1" wide.

 

[Capt Morgan]

bottle stopper or butt plug, I am guessing it was shoved in something.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

I just realized the size. I guess I didn’t pay attention to the ruler in the pictures. ?
That would be smaller than I’d expect for a finial then. I’m stumped. I think if it were a plumb bob, there’d be a loop, or remnant of one, where a string could be tied.

You said it’s not ferrous, but is it metallic at all?

 

[scloyd]

You said it’s not ferrous, but is it metallic at all?

In the fourth pic there is what seems to be a rust spot. I scratched the bottom with a pocket knife...it does seem to be some sort of metal.

 

[pitchfork]

Gate weight maybe?

 

[scloyd]

Gate weight maybe?

Too small?

 

[pitchfork]

Too small?

Yeah, maybe so. But definitely a weight of some kind.

 

[scloyd]

Well, I decide it's an antique pipe tamper and put it with my other tampers in my tobacco cabinet. Mystery solved...for now anyway.

 

[pitchfork]

Yeah, maybe so. But definitely a weight of some kind.

Or maybe not a weight - it looks rough at the bottom, like a stopper. ?‍