Featured Help with antique, heavy bucket(?) w/metal bands & forged nails?

I agree, it was a bargain. Looks like it was made of one piece of wood. Note on the 3rd pic. (of the top) the wear along one inner edge where a ladle might have rested.
Why the red about the opening? It doesn't look as if it had a lid. It would be interesting to see one of the nails. Might help in dating?

 

Do you think it had a liner/bucket that could lift in and out at some point?

 

This bucket has really been bugging me. Is it possible that it was used on shipboard as a sand bucket. A semi-permanent fixture that would be used to supply sand to keep the deck about a gun placement rough in battle to prevent the gun crew from slipping? If so, would it not have a scoop or ladle to spread the sand? This would explain the wear at the rim. It would also explain the paint application? Just thinking......

 

I may have found an/the answer. Following up on my previous post I did some research. Searching: The^EM^Constitution^EMGun Deck, I quote the following:
"When an enemy was in sight, the crew was called to quarters, as “battle stations” were then called. Since there were no loudspeakers in those days, the ship’s marine drummer summoned the men to their stations. In a quick scramble of disciplined activity, everything not needed for battle was struck belowdecks. The galley fire was put out; furniture in the captain’s and commodore’s cabins was moved belowdecks to make room for the gun crews. A detail of men mounted each of the ship’s fighting tops to make emergency repairs to battle-damaged rigging. Down below, the surgeon and his mates laid out their bandages and instruments and made ready to care for the wounded. Sand was scattered along the decks for better footing; tubs were filled with water for drinking and firefighting."

 

Not bad - I hope so!