Antique Civil War Era Battle Rattle Alarm / Noisemaker Naval Call to Battle

Description

An antique Civil War era Naval "battle rattle" noisemaker, used during that time period mostly by the British and American navies as a signal to call the sailors to their battle posts.  This battle rattle measures approximately 6 1/2" in length and does not bear any maker's marks.  It's lack of any metal parts other than the tiny nails suggests it may have been made by an individual rather than mass produced in a factory.  The handle still turns freely, creating the intended "pop, pop, pop" noise as the thin piece of wood slaps from one notch to the next as the crank is turned.  This item came from the collection of a couple who collected and dealt in antiques for several decades, and was purchased as and identified by them as being from the Civil War period.  The wood patina and the construction as compared to like items I found in my research all supports the age determination.
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