Boot Heel Plate?

I was going to post this in the what is this thread, but I think we know what it is. Found it at around 8 inches or so where we're finding all of the rest of the iron junk we're finding. This one was in a park we had not yet checked. Didn't stay long because we wanted to get back out to the ball fields and practice hearing some coins in the ground. I kind of like it, but I can't find a lot out about boot heel plates. I found some civil war aged heel plates that cover the whole heel like this one would, but not a lot else. This one does still have a couple nails still in it. Anyway, I kinda like finding this sort of thing, here's a photo.

I have seen a lot of heel plates posted here, but nothing like that. I'm sure there a few here who have a lot more expertise on there who will be happy to shed some light on the history of this piece. Nice find though!

I think it's part of an old padlock. It looks familiar to me.

DaddyDigger said:

I think it's part of an old padlock. It looks familiar to me.

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You may be right with that! It does look like a back plate to an old lock-still the older style, but at the point they started making cheapo sheet metal kinds-around the 1920's or 1930's or so maybe?

A lot of the older "smoke house" type padlocks have the same looking back plates too.

The shape is about right for an old padlock, there's what looks like a big nail, actually it looks like two nails in it still, or the rivets holding the back plate on. Yes, I do believe you are right. The more searching I do the more it appears to be a lock, but the small square holes are throwin' me. Here's a look at the other side