At the beginning of the first world war they plotted all military operations using these giant pins. Later in the conflict ‘map pins’ were developed and these ‘land pins’ became obsolete. Another fascinating example of how the horrors of war pushed technology forwards in civilian applications.
Imho joke answers should be against the rules of the sub.
Marking the exact center of France
i remember seeing somewhere in paris the prime pin
must be around Notre Dame
edit: yes, it indeed is there : point zéro
It looks very rough, it could be an unfinished part: a fusion that hasn't received the subsequent machining.
Maybe a flywheel.I think that's just from many years of rust and wear. I doubt that's the original surface finish
Could be both
A large ship engine valve? Maybe an unfinished casting? Finished ones here
If that's a valve, the cylinder is probably big enough to climb inside!
I think it might be a riser or part of a sprue from a larger cast part
I wouldn't have known it was metal just from the picture. It looks like a stone bird bath.
What does the top look like?
It is flat (and round obviously).
