Mark,

It's the distal portion of a mechanical pencil ... between 1822 and the end 
of the Civil War, there were more than 100 patents filed on such mechanical 
pencils (and improvements thereto). This one is quite fancy/embellished and 
appears to have been mechanically complex (and incorporating an eraser in 
the hollow/split end ... the cap is missing), suggesting it comes late in 
the development sequence, so if it pre-dates the Civil War (looks later to 
me ... so maybe intrusive in its context?) probably not by much.

Bob Skiles

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Mark Branstner" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 9:33 AM
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Unknown Artifact

> Hi Guys,
>
> Paula Porubcan passed on this artifact for an ID, if possible ...
>
> Recovered from pre-Civil War Illinois farmstead context ... Any 
> suggestions or references would be greatly appreciated.
>
> http://yfrog.com/j6unknownobjectj
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mark
> -- 
>
> Mark C. Branstner, RPA
> Historic Archaeologist
>
> Illinois State Archaeological Survey
> Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability
> University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
> 209 Nuclear Physics Lab, MC-571
> 23 East Stadium Drive
> Champaign, IL 61820
>
> Phone: 217.244.0892
> Fax: 217.244.7458
> Cell: 517.927.4556
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
> "There's absolutely nothing wrong with Marxism, so long as you stop at "A 
> Day At The Races." If you keep on with "At the Circus," etc., suddenly, 
> Marxism doesn't seem all that interesting and you start to look for 
> something a bit more competent, like Chaplinism or Stoogeism"  - Anonymous
>
> "I hope there's pudding" - Luna Lovegood (HP5)