What is this object I found in antique store?
July 27, 2021 5:22 AM   Subscribe

A printing plate, 1-3-5-9 repeated in a 10 by 10 grid. What could it be? (Pics inside)

While on vacation in Maine, I saw this printing plate in an antique store.

reversed image

I reversed it so that it is easier to read— it is just a 10 x 10 grad of numbers, but the numbers are just 1-3-5-9 repeated.

I have no idea what it could be, any ideas?

They wanted $85 for it, should I go back and offer $60?
posted by gregvr to Writing & Language (9 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
OP reversed the image for legibility. I thought maybe an embossing die but didn’t get any further than that.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:23 AM on July 27, 2021


This is purely a guess. Could it be a plate used for testing, ether the plate making process or the printing process?
posted by tman99 at 6:37 AM on July 27, 2021


I don't know but I love it. It's very cool and yes, I would go back and offer them $50.
posted by nkknkk at 6:57 AM on July 27, 2021


I think it's involved with printing registration. . If you search for /registration grid/, you'll find several vaguely similar things.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:04 AM on July 27, 2021


Best answer: Google found me a picture of this old paper shooting target, for contests like a turkey shoot where you hit the lucky number and you win one of the prizes (e.g. a frozen turkey).
posted by Poogle at 7:16 AM on July 27, 2021 [28 favorites]


Poogle has the answer. Here's a similar target available for sale in Germany.
posted by pipeski at 7:47 AM on July 27, 2021 [3 favorites]


Yep, that's a printing plate for a turkey shoot target. They were once (and still are, in some places) a popular fund-raiser.

It's different from most other shooting sports in that there's intentionally a big element of luck involved, in order to make them more fun for casual or inexperienced shooters.

That one looks like a "bingo" style target, where you're probably trying to achieve a high score, or get closest to some value without going over, or some variation thereof. There are variants for rifle, pistol, and shotgun; that target looks like a rifle or pistol target.

Traditionally, the prize is a turkey (hence the name), although many are now played for small sums of cash or other prizes.
posted by Kadin2048 at 9:27 AM on July 27, 2021 [1 favorite]


You should go back and offer whatever you are willing to pay if you love it. If you don’t love it, don’t buy it as an investment. Leave it for someone else to buy, someone who will think it’s super cool.
posted by Bella Donna at 1:17 PM on July 28, 2021


Soooo disappointed that the answer had nothing to do with monoliths.
posted by HiroProtagonist at 7:15 PM on July 28, 2021


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