Jyes

Well, here it is one year since I last posted my first and only post and I have been housebound lately to do health related issues and got interested again in my mould? I posted last year. Just to refresh, I found this metal detecting at a very early settled homestead in the middle of nowhere that most likely was occupied in the mid 1700's to early 1800's. With that said, any relic found could be much older but more than likely would not be newer than late 1700's. It has been batted around on this post and on metal detecting forums as to what thiis is. Even one of the curators at Williamsburg was baffled, so I am still with you guys on two possibilties but I still lean more towards it be a button/cufflink mold and I do believe it is a one half of a mold. Now here is the e-mail reply from an indiviidual at Williamsburg, Va. Thanks for your email - a most curious object! To be honest, I'm not sure what it is exactly, but here are my thoughts. It certainly isn't a nail header - these are completely different, and of much heavier construction. It's not a hardy either - even though it has a square-section post, it doesn't appear to be of sufficient weight to be used as a "swage" for glowing iron to be beaten into. Being that it has registration depressions at the 4 corners, this is the bottom half of some sort of casting mold - but to cast what? The shapes made are odd, especially with their crude attempts at embellishment. If the cavities were better formed, I might think a button mold, or perhaps fishing sinkers, but I have to say "uncle" in this case. Sorry! Regards, Erik Erik Goldstein Curator of Mechanical Arts & Numismatics The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation P.O. Box 1776 Williamsburg, VA 23187 One reason I still think button mold, is the design matches some buttons I saw and held that are mid 17th Century to very early 18th century buttons called appropriately enough "Nipple Buttons" or as some in England called them "Pimple Buttons". I am attaching photographs of Nipple buttonds found in New Jersey at an old homesite. I am unsure of the metal but they are very heavy for their small size and are not lead. Jyes

I am reading with vested interest, love the comments so far. It is IRON, and it most likely was made at a forge in NJ, perhaps as early as Rev War, but no later than 1830. I personally think based on the other artifacts that have come from this site that it most likely was made in the late 1700's. I previously have run this item by button and coin experts and the button mold was discounted by many. Some of the coin experts came up with it possibly being a rivet head/tack head maker or something to that effect. I know for awhile I thought for sure it was used to make some type of modified rosehead nail. The curvature I think is from wear and tear, but that could only happen if it were hammered a lot, like if it was used in a swage block. The spike is not long or sharp enough in my opinion to have been used in a stump, but I guess it is possible. I am still uncertain as to whether there is an "upper half" to this item. I am perplexed by those slotted holes along the outside perimeter. They had to have a purpose at one time I would think, guide holes perhaps? Thanks for the replies so far, I hope the photographs are good enough for a final determination of this piece of blacksmith history. Please keep the brainstorming coming, I'm sure it will all make sense in the end. Thanks all Jyes

Hi all, I have been trying to get a positive ID on this artifact for quite some time. I have contacted a couple local Blacksmith's and also have tried previously on some forums and e-mails to individuals and really have never got a definitive answer. I believe the most credible answer I have gotten on this artifact is that it possibly was a rivet head maker hardy. A lot of that makes sense, now you must also put your frame of thinking into the late 1700's and what tools would be needed and used in the late colonial woods of New Jersey. :0 So, my question is: Do you think this is a hardy that was used in the rivet making process, or is it part of a mold since it appears to have slots for where another half of it might have been joined. All who have looked at it are concerned about the curvature of the item and the majority of the fancy dimples are elongated. I am fairly certain that if it was a hardy that it could have been bent into that shape from the hammering and thus elongating the holes on the edges. Any good thoughts on this item would be appreciated, I love trying to identify old tools, artifacts from the 18th and 19th Centuries. Attached are photos I have taken of the artifact and I also included a photo of a mould I made using Silly Putty to show the true depth and design of the item. Thanks in advance Jyes Horton