MYSTERY STEEL BLOCK.

[Sinann]

Are there letters here??  A rubbing could be interesting!!

Insignia of Order of St Patrick
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_St_Patrick

Looking further down that link the full surround is the Collar of the Order of St.Patrick

[youngtug]

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01jwg/

[dublin1850]

It reminds me of the raised impression you often find on degrees and diplomas etc..

I have seen similar on old postcards, which could be coloured in, though none quite as intricate as the one in the photo.

[dathai]

http://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/nclc/05100/05165v.jpg

I used a machine similar to the one in the picture but in the motor industry in the making of number plates in a'' motor factors'' (before anyone asks was i in prison).
The front of the aluminium plate was covered in masking tape and then placed face down in the press ,i then had to calculate the distance for spaces between letters and numbers which were on metal dyes and placed in the press similar to where the young lady's hand is in the photo.
I then removed the masking tape from the plate but not the embossed letters or numbers,the plate was then sprayed black and then the masking tape was removed from the letters and numbers and then the plate was baked in an oven.

edited to add there were male dyes the the embossed part connected to the swinging arm and female indented placed under the number plate.

[grandarog]

Thank You again. So far we have established that.
A.  The Harp is the early version. 
B.  Castle with Deer in doorway
C. The surround is the Collar of the Order of St Patrick.

Strongly suggests the block (what ever its use)is well over 100 years old.

[John915]

Good morning,

Spot on YT, both your handheld or the desktop machine would have held a die like this, this one being the top die. It would have been held in place by a grub screw against the peg. The male die always sat at the bottom in a recess and the female at the top. Held in and aligned by the grubscrew.

If anyone remembers the old style British MOT certificate, they used a similar tool to emboss your certificate to make it official.

I found several on Ebay but as no 1 grandson is using my laptop can't do a link.

John915

[youngtug]

Being that I was apprenticed has a toolmaker I thought I might be right

[grandarog]

Thanks to you all for establishing that it is the top half of a die set.The indent from the securing grub screw can be clearly seen on the securing peg.
   Now the only question is what was the grand embossed seal it produced used for??.
Would it maybe a government office stamp similar to the old MOT embossed Stamp?

[dathai]

Wonder could National Archives help
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/recreational_activities_in_ireland/cultural_institutions/national_archives_of_ireland.html