Brass curio found in job lot of Railway ephemera

Good afternoon all

I recently bought a job lot of railway ephemera and at the bottom of the box was this brass plaque. I have no idea what it is and was wondering if any collectors out there may be able to shed some light in it for me?

Its around the size of a beer mat and has the same text on the reverse but for Seaton. Its quite heavy too.

Great forum by the way, an awesome collection of railway knowledge in one place!

IMG_3649 by Rob Worthington posted Nov 10, 2018 at 4:39 PM

 

As it has no holes am wondering if it might be an unused label that would have been soldered to a tinplate document box for internal documents to Exmouth Junc. MPD

 

Except the OP says there is a similar text on the reverse but Seaton rather than Exmouth Jct. But I also wondered why there was no apparent holes or other methods for fixing or tying. Something that might have a bearing is the text is not centrally located. Just a thought!

 

My guess is a reversible label for a leather cash bag. Slid into an open fronted pocket on the outside of the bag and retained in place when the neck of the bag is drawn tight and sealed.

 

Yep. Didn't read the thread properly DOH! In a rush! Reckon Wenlock right being for a cash bag. In fact (and you will have to take my word for this ) my first thought was a label for a cash bag but no holes threw me a little. Wonder if designed to be slid into a brass frame on the cash bag. Not really knowledgeable where these are involved. My area of interest is mainly with Loco hardware and signs.

 

As good an idea as any.
I also wondered if it got lost then it would be a quick item for the machine shop to remake.

 

There is a whole fascinating discussion to be had about Railway Cash Handling - safes in Guards Vans for handing out the wages each week as a 'for example'

 

looks like a plate for a wages box to me I worked in the British rail cash office at Bristol Temple Meads for 19 years until privitisation in 1996 we used to send wages to various depots and stations by train and one of my jobs as a junior clerk was to maintain the boxes checking that the plates were turned round to show the destination station or depot in BR days the plates were made of a formica like material with the return to District Cashier Bristol on one side and the destination on the other side we would chain the box into the guards van and ask the guard to sign for the contents the GWR plates were made of brass several of which I have .

The cash office at Bristol was the last one left on the Western region and closed in 1996 after 147 years it was unique due to the fact that nothing was computerised all ledgers were completed by hand or on a small olivetti adding machine and we used lots of equipment which was pure GWR .

 

Exmouth housed the Royal Marines at Topsham. Maybe Military Police?

Russ

 

Your geography is a bit amiss. The Marine depot is at Lympstone, which has its own station*, and is about half-way between Topsham and Exmouth (roughly 3 miles from each).
* Lympstone Village. An additional station "Lympstone Commando" was opened in the 1976.

Seaton to Exmouth Junction (which was on the outskirts of Exeter) was a different line.
Mike