Large cents made into a tool?

Not mine. Just helping some folks on a different forum. Any ideas what these were made for?

 

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Not sure, pretty interesting though. What size is the square? I wonder if it fits an old square nut?

 

Radiator stem control valve (Head Handle) - twist left to open and right to shut. Probably for really tight spaces.

 

Really interesting. Agreed an old square nut. And being copper it’s soft but won’t cause any kind of spark. Wonder if it was some kind of civil war military battlefield make do. As the copper wouldn’t cause a spark around black powder

 

I will quess at some homemade Finials.

 

I've seen large cents made into gears. I've also seen
them made into washers for attaching slate roof shingles.

 

I'll buy that they could be a makeshift valve handle but not for a radiator. They'd get too hot to handle. What I wonder is when they were made, how they were made and why did they choose to use coins instead of something easier like washers that they'd just have to square off the hole. Interesting find.

 

Back then? It wasn't as easy as going to your nearest Ace Hardware to buy some replacement washers. Most often, they used whatever was available.

Chris

 

The hole is about 3/8"X3/8" using rough math.

 

Been thinking about this one. It’s a mystery to be certain. I also like to play with old cars. The current rage is what’s called “Rat Rods”. The guys that craft these machines just use all manner of oddball homemade hardware. The stranger the hardware the cooler the ride. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that may have been some accessory knob or such on a rat rod..... How’s that for thinking outside the box?

 

Yeah

 

Cover the ignighters on cannons

 

It would fit a few nuts on some old furniture I have.

 

I overheard a conversation in the coin shop yesterday that just may hold your answer. Thing is, it wouldn’t answer why four are stacked together..... Fellow was talking about a square hole in a large cent. Dealer educated the man that often large vents were nailed with square nails to a home back in the day as a mark of identification. That was all the conversation that I was able to overhear. Made me think of this thread and thought I might offer it up.

 

They obviously didn’t have any Chinese coins lying around! Neat object!

 

So the Chinese copied that design also ....

 

Don't they copy everything else?

 

You mean like;
Gunpowder.
Paper Money
Porcelain
Mechanical clock
Compass
Paper Making
Type printing

To name but a few.

 

Okay okay, since the 1800s.

 

Most likely made to turn a latch. Possibly on a piece of furniture (desk, pie case, lock box...........). The size of the hole fits most lock spindles of the era.