Confederate calipers

[Steve Phillips]

We found this at Selma and I think it is a crudely made caliper. It is made of wrought iron and one of the arms is broken off. We found two 12 pounder shells with it. I was hoping someone who reads this could help me with what it would be used for. The other item is a cotton bale clip that held the wires or strings together around the bale. Penny is for size reference.

[emike123]

It looks like an original, first generation monkey wrench to me, Steve:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_wrench

Andrew Hotchkiss patented a similar one.

Are you coming up to Franklin?

[Steve Phillips]

I will probably come to Franklin. The tool is too thin to be a monkey wrench and it doesn't have any adjustment teeth. Also it is wrought iron and would bend. I have found several CS crudely made tools at Selma and this looks like a copy of the brass calipers I have seen. Your friend that came with you to my house was real good at identifying items and he may like to see this.

[emike123]

He (Ken) will be at Franklin Friday and Saturday am if you will be there and bring this to show him.

One point of clarification that of course doesn't make your piece a wrench but is perhaps worth knowing for other early tools:  If you look at figure 157 on the link I provided, you will see the adjustment screw on the early monkey wrenches is not integral to the main part and hence there are no "adjustment teeth" on that part.