This is a miner's candlestick of the type early miners might have carried on the front of a hat. The candlestick is a single piece of iron forged into a spike that loops into a candle thimble. Additionally, a hook extends from the shaft of the spike. This particular candlestick has been reshaped so that the candle leans away from the surface it might be inserted through (possibly the crown of a felt hat?).