Early Prop. Need help identifying.

[bourdon]

I just picked up this prop at an antiques show in Toronto. The dealer said he had found it in New York state. It is a scimitar shape flat on the back. 99" in diameter. There are no bolt holes, there are no decals and only two numbers stamped on it. *41* on the back hub and and underlined 3 on the side. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.

[Dave]

I suspect that it was a manufacturing reject fairly late in the manufacturing process. Usually more information than just a serial number would be stamped, and usually the bolt holes would be drilled. Most U.S. manufacturers did use decals, so their absence could indicate a rejected product or could indicate removal/refinishing by someone at a later date.

It's nearly impossible to identify these props by appearance and dimensions alone. There are just too many possibilities.

[bourdon]

Thanks for the information Dave. Is it fairly common to find these late stage rejects? Is there any way to assign a value to this or is it simply what someone is willing to pay for the aesthetic value?

[Dave]

They're not uncommon, assuming that's what it is. It's hard to put a "value" on it as such. I don't consider them particularly "collectible" because it's an unknown, but if you put it on eBay or something similar you'd likely get at least several hundred for it, with the chance of considerably more if a few bidders think it's something it isn't. It is a nice shape, and that might drive the price upwards.