Posted 7 years ago
shlammert
(1 item)
This heavy brass casting served as a paperweight on my father's Western PA desk for many years. No idea what the initials stand for, nor for what function it was originally intended. My father sold non-ferrous metals (including brass & bronze) in the greater Pittsburgh area for over 40 years; his father was a purchasing agent with Oliver Iron & Steel for over 50 years. Both are long-deceased.
The item was probably manufactured before 1960, and possibly well before that date.
Speculation on this item has included: a material sample; a prop for a cigar or pipe; or, simply, a paperweight. But no one has offered suggestions on a related individual or company with initials "D R".
Railroad fans have suggested that "D R" could be Doncaster Railway, or Deutsche Reichsbahn, and of course brass was a popular material in the business. But again, no one has been able to suggest a railroad function for this object.
The base is flat and unadorned; there are no manufacturer's marks, no threaded hole (as if this were a handle), etc.
