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Old Plantation Find from SW FL

Erik in NJ

New member
They were doing some digging near the site of the old plantation (dates back to the mid to late 1800s) and I managed to do a little detecting there. The most interesting item I found during the brief time I had there was the following. It cylindrical and essentially a tube within a tube. There are two slots on either side of the outer tube and one end is capped off and engraved "PATD JANY 29 1856" the other end is broken off. It appears to be made of copper and is about 1/2" in diameter. I unfortunately lost a little of the detail while cleaning it with a brass brush and it may be JANY 23. Any ideas on what this is/was?
 
My thought is the base to a lipstick tube.

"In 1770, the British Parliament passed a law condemning lipstick, stating that 'women found guilty of seducing men into matrimony by a cosmetic means could be tried for witchcraft.'"
 
Seems a little on the narrow side for lipstick, but I guess it could be - I found an old lipstick in MA a few years back and it was more like a short round pillbox looking thing that you'd put your finger in (still lipstick and a fingerprint in it!). Could it be an early fuse?
 
[size=medium]And no, I'm not being sarcastic.

Although I don't think that this is a match safe, match safes were used to keep matches dry. They came in all sizes, (usually the length of the match) and a lot of them were given away for free from merchants with their advertising stamped upon them. They a cool piece of late 19Th early 20Th century americana.[/size]
 
This is may be the patent because I dont think many patents were issued then. SEE: http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/resources/invent/patent.asp?patent=1358 You may need to Copy and Paste to the address bar.
 
Are there any indications of pins or lugs in the slots that are attached to the inner tube??? It could have been turn the bottom to dispense and the lugs or pins would keep the inner tube moving straight up without rotating with the rear cap. Much like a lipstick tube of when I was a kid. Not in the l800s tho. I remember them in the early 50s
Really cool ; anything with a date like that spaks volumes .
Great find and good luck on the tracking it down.
Grumpy
 
Maybe it was a cigarette snuffer-outer, probably not but theres my guess. or maybe it was to hold a small candle to light all the house lanterns since it is double walled for heat possibly, and last but not least it could of possibly been to hold a piece of chalk for the teacher and her chalk board. But I really think its a candle snifter. :shrug:
 
Hi John, I tried to Google the patent date myself, but did not come up with anything definitive. Thanks for doing this search!

I get the following:

Patent Information: Pill making machine
Title: Pill making machine
Patent number: 14,161
Date granted: 1/29/1856
View this patent at the USPTO.
Inventor: Noah Kumler

When I click on "View this patent" I get the message "Full text is not available for this patent. Click on "Images" button above to view full patent." and when I click on the "Images" button I don't get any images - are you able to see anything?

I think it's a strong possibility that this is a part of that machine - Thanks again for your help!!
 
Hi Grumpy! Thanks for the post....I took a closer look at the slots with a jewelers loupe and in one of the slots I can see clear evidence that a pin has cut a groove into the inner tube with friction....Excellent detective work on your part - I never even thought to look there for evidence of that. I wonder if in fact it was part of such a machine. I agree, finds like this, though not as glamorous as a silver coin, do speak volumes and to me are just as interesting if not more.
 
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