NNP

David Schenkman comment:

Not even the lowly nail escaped the attention of souvenir makers. This 2.5 x 4.5 inch brown envelope is imprinted "Souvenir. The enclosed nails are made from the armor plate of the Confederate ram Virginia, commonly known as the Merrimac, by the Old Dominion Iron and Nail Works Co. Richmond, VA." Four iron nails in the envelope when I acquired it.

Some of you may have seen Robert Hendershott's recently released catalog of the 1904 St. Louis fair. He lists a similar item which says "the nails attached to this card and the small blocks herewith were cut from the armorplate of the Confederate ram Virgnia...." from the illustration of the envelope. The "block" appears to be a square iron medal... It seems unlikely that this was from the St. Louis Expo, since there was no connection to the battle. More likely it was for the Jamestown Expo.