An Anticlimactic Answer
This is what this person had to say about this unidentified object: “Solid metal Egyptian-looking scarab. My gma believes she got it somewhere in Europe a long time ago. It has hieroglyphs on the underside and is fairly heavy for its size.” People on Reddit had the answers, which are pretty disappointing.
We know we were disappointed to find out the true purpose of this mysterious antique item, and it’s safe to assume the original poster was just as disappointed. People on Reddit seemed to believe this was just a paperweight sold to tourists in Egypt. Not a precious, priceless heirloom, but a tourist trinket that was popular in Egypt back in the day.