Antique Brass Box, Brass Shoe Nail Tin, Rome Tack & Nail Co., Rome NY

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Antique Brass Box, Brass Shoe Nail Tin, Rome Tack & Nail Co., Rome NY:
$9.99

This is a wonderful old solid brass tin that was made to hold shoe nails. It\'s a cobbler\'s tin and marked with 4/8 (and two stars). It reads Brass Shoe Nail, Rome Tack & Nail Co., Rome NY.
It is believed that Rome Tack & Nail was one of the parts of a larger company. Founded by Jonathan S. Haselton (b.1847-d.1908), the RomeBrass & Copper Co. was a reorganization of the Rome Iron Works, afirmoriginally founded in 1863. Jonathan Sawyer Haselton was born atLawrence,Massachusetts, December 5, 1847 to Nathaniel and Myra (Sawyer)Haselton. In hisboyhood he removed with his parents to Rome where he attended thepublicschools.
His first business venture was as a newsboy on the Rome,Watertown& Ogdensburg Railroad and in 1867 he became connected with the RomeIronWorks as office boy. As the railroadindustry converted from iron to steel the Rome Iron Works began themanufactureof brass, and eventually copper, renaming itself the Rome Brass &CopperCo. in 1890.
By that time Haselton had advanced through the variouspositionsof clerk, bookkeeper, secretary-treasurer, ending up as the firm’spresident. In the early 1900\'s the company turned to the manufacturing of auto radiators and became the Rome Radiator Company. Thus what was once an ironworks, ended up in the copper business with a brief period when it made brass.
The only other brass tin of this nature I could find online was one found in a dig in Boise Idaho. A similar tin was also on line, but it was by Rome Radiator Co which would have made it a more recent version.
The Embossed lettering is very clear, with a patina similar to an antique brass coin. The writing is surprisingly sharp and with good readability. It is obviously made with a punching process that makes the letters stand out in relief. The inside is brighter (not as oxidized) I\'ve left the patina. The bottom of the round 2\" tin is showing some green from age. It could, I suppose be cleaned, but I\'ve done nothing to it. It of course is \"dinged and dented\" but I think that only adds to the true nature of the article. One dent seems to made to be used by one\'s finger or thumb to hold the little box secure when removing the top. I am not sure that was by accident as it may be part of either the manufacturing process, or made on the part of the cobbler who wanted to make it easier to open.
Heirs of Paul Revere worked for this company according to some of the information I read on the internet, but I have no idea of any details. I think collectors will enjoy this tiny treasure.