Round object. 1869 on it. Hole in middle. What is it?

[nalc472]

5365053651

Any ideas what this thing is? It is a little bigger than quarter and a little smaller than a half dollar.

[Tony Two-Cent]

It looks like it may have a full date on it, perhaps July 15, 1869.

I found this Masonic token online that has the same date on it:

http://tokencatalog.com/token_record_forms.php?action=DisplayTokenRecord&td_id=409476&inventory_id=420248&attribution_id=420428&td_create_uid=1106

[Full Metal Digger]

I didn't think they had them back then but it looks like it's from an 1869 henway. :)

[nalc472]

Its not flat. It is humped up around the hole.

[BTV Digger]

Here's a possibility, and a guess only. I looked up patent dates of July 15, 1869 and got several hits from Scientific American which list weekly patents issued in the summer of 1869. There's several items listed for your date, including a "thill coupling", or the portion of a carriage or wagon which attaches to the animal. Here's the patent link (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/official-list-of-patents-1869-08-07/). Do a "Control + f and search for "15" and you'll see a few hits. They make drive couplings today on motors, so something like a washer from and old thill coupling could be it. Here's another look at one - http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PKIUbHdkvi0/UuqhhAQnwNI/AAAAAAAAH1E/hAElqaVoPu0/s1600/Horse+Detacher.jpg.

John