Yup, it's possible. It's screwed in at an angle to protect the edge and the slot lines up with where a string would go. It has a friend at the nut too. So, you'd attach the string to nail and run it over the screw. All of the 4 marks point towards the nail (screw) in the end as well, as if a string has run through them. There's also a 5th mark under the screw. Maybe it was used without a screw for a while but the string moved and then dug in, so they fitted a screw.
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This is the cigar box's bottom..
Yeh ok I agree ...shows it must have been wire then too
Could this be a clue? to the twin wire gauges?....old violin tail?
Yup, it's possible. It's screwed in at an angle to protect the edge and the slot lines up with where a string would go. It has a friend at the nut too. So, you'd attach the string to nail and run it over the screw. All of the 4 marks point towards the nail (screw) in the end as well, as if a string has run through them. There's also a 5th mark under the screw. Maybe it was used without a screw for a while but the string moved and then dug in, so they fitted a screw.
Diglydog , do you recon this screw is a string guide to stop it eating in to the box then?