This is an original, hand engraved jewelry hub. These were used to manufacture jewelry, souvenirs, rings, earrings, charms, pendants, keychains, etc.
In excellent condition.
See photos for details, and please read below for more information.
Hob/hub/die - the terms vary to people's understanding of these engraved steel master patterns. Most manufactured vintage jewelry started with a hand engraved master pattern in steel, three dimensional with all the details of the finished product. I have a vast collection of these original hubs and I am going to start selling off the ones that I don't foresee using myself. The value I find in these is the great expense that it would take to create a master pattern to this level, done in a bygone era of artisans that aren't around to create this work anymore. From recent sales of these, I am seeing a renaissance of collectors and jewelry makers - and these even make great static objects for display or for selling jewelry created from them. Scale, proportions, nuances, etc.
They are extremely clean and well cared for examples, especially compared to the recent ones I have seen turn up here on eBay. Whatever factory they came out of, they were well kept, and kept away from moisture, etc. It's easier to date the earlier ones (pre-1930's). The technology did not change drastically from the 1930's to the 1990's, so pinpointing an exact year for date is difficult, and is easier to do by the style of the design itself. I have personally found the master hubs for pieces of jewelry that I own or have sold. It's really amazing having the original hand engraved piece in hand to some iconic designs. These skillfully executed designs were made for some big names in the industry, the specifics of which are up to your research.