I found this object at a former old home site in the woods. (The same site where I found the 1869 Indian Head Cent.)
It is about 2" in diameter and has Roman numerals 1 thru 12 on the face. It has a stem on the back like it may have been attached to some kind of valve or control knob. The Roman numerals make me think of a timepiece, but this object doesn't really seem to be part of a watch or clock. Could it be part of some kind of timer, maybe?
It's a real head scratcher. Any ideas?