What is it? Vaccum tube coil?
 

The seller thinks it might be a car stereos coil.

Sorry, this just peaked my curiosity.

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/9431/weirdcoil.jpg

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/4285/weirdcoil3.jpg

That's pretty strange. If they wanted high Q and good stability then it would make sense to protect it from humidity. Maybe they thought it would reduce micro-phonics also, but you'd still have vibrations conducted through the leads.

Hard to beleive it's for any type of consumer product - maybe for some instrument or military gear?

Edit: although, knowing the age would help.

Some ham and commercial recievers and transmitters had plug-in coils to change bands....Perhaps this is from one of them. :scratch2: