Need help with a prop identification.

[Skywokr]

I have a wooden propeller that I think is pre WW1 but I'm not sure. It is 8' 4" long and has the following markings:

1. 2.
4258 8' 4" X 6' 6.5"
T.M. N 3661
S.E. 5090 I. H.
A decal on one side says "Falcon Jamestown, N.Y.". The hub has 8 holes that are on 8" centers and are .5" in diameter. The hub is 3 1/8" thick. There are also 2 anchor symbols with U.S. at the top corners of the anchor.

[Dave]

It's for a Curtiss HS2L Navy flying boat. See this page for details.

Hundreds of them were sold off as surplus in the early twenties, and very few remain in pairs now.

[Skywokr]

Thanks a lot, Dave. I've sent inquires to the Naval Museum, the Smithsonian, and the Curtis museum and you're the first one who's know what the prop is. Any idea what it's worth?

[Dave]

Any idea what it's worth?

Not really. They are very common, and yours has been refinished (you can see the color change where the canvas was removed) which reduces its value considerably to a collector, but sometimes people go a little nuts bidding on eBay for them. My guess is that if you put it on eBay it would go for something in the $800 to $1000 range, but it's almost impossible to predict sales in this economy.