Basin Depot 1999-2000

Basin Depot 1999-2000 - Nails

These nails can be divided into cut and wire nails. Popular in the 19th century, machine-cut nails were replaced by those made of wire in the early 1990s. When both are found, it often means original construction followed by later improvements.

Also included are a horseshoe nail (lower right) and a large nut and bolt for machinery or wagons (top).

Nail

Collection: Basin Depot 1999
Object: Nail
Material: Metal
Period: Late 19th Century

Too often artifacts are found in isolation, but this wonderful little piece provides a graphic example that all items have a function. This nail actually retains a bit of the board it was hammered into. Cut nails such as this were replaced by the wire nails of the 20th Century. Nail types can be useful for dating buildings and repairs.