A very good possibility indeed !
It very well could be a part of an RCA device , like you say perhaps part of some elaborate dial light rather than being a tool . It's funny , since it was found with TV tools rather than TV parts I automatically thought it had to be a tool , but as you say the very real possibility is that it could be a component rather than an instrument .
Hmm , so maybe it WAS a part of something , that the guy kept around to poke & prod at powered up boards as suggested earlier in the thread ?
Thank You Popester for presenting an interesting take on the mystery RCA , , , thing .