I am reminded that I offered to forward this request for information to
the list.  I hope that Mr. Davis will get some help on his problem of
dating brass tacks.  I was hoping that I could finally get list members
to come down to these.

Marley Roberts Brown III
Director of Archaeological Research
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and
Research Professor of Anthropology and History
The College of William and Mary
 
Telephone 757 220.7331
Fax           757 220.7990
E-Mail      [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: larry davis [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 7:40 PM
To: Brown, Marley
Subject: Tack and nail manufacture

Mr. Brown,

I am trying to establish a method of dating artefacts.
By identifying the type of nail or brass tack used in the artefact, and 
its possible date of usage and manufacture.
I have been x-raying artefacts to get a look at the shank shape, and to 
help to determine the process of its manufacture.
What I am hoping to do is put together a chronology of tack and nail 
styles, dates of manufacture, spanning say, late 16th to the early 19th 
century.

My specific area of study is the Highland Targe (shield) late 16th 
century to the mid 17th.
I believe the only way to weed out the Victorian copies is through this 
method, and the use of X-ray is the least invasive.

The problem is, that I can not find any data on brass tack-nail 
manufacture. I have collected many specimens from dateable objects, but 
have no research to establish a time line or tie them all together.

Such as, when was the current style of machine made brass tack first 
produced? Sounds like an easy question, but I have not been able to find

the answer.

I understand that your site deals primarily with the 16th and 17th 
century. Is it possible that someone on your staff could refer me to a 
research source, or perhaps have some ideas on whom to approach.

I have tried several 'old' firms such as Treemont nail and Tack with 
little success.

If there already exists a body of research on this subject, then there 
is no point in reinventing the wheel, but so far I have not been able to

locate it .

Any assistance would be most appreciated,

Larry Davis.