couldn't stop playing with this ancient marvel i found in some corner of city hall building. guess what this is???

IT IS.... *drumroll* an umbrella lock. super, ultra primitive contraption, used by judges and lawyers in the past to store and lock their umbrellas while they went to court, prob from 1950s - 1980s. Just slip your umbrella (it assumes your umbrella has a handle) into the holder and pull out the token and voila! your umbrella is safe there until you return.

and of course, your truly did not take this picture. a profesisonal photographer did.