🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Aging lead patina?

[ODELLRORRER]

Is there any way to date lead with this beautiful white patina? Maybe an "at least XX years old" due to the patina? I'm hoping you all can help me get an approximate age for these "bullets". I use quotations because the doubting Thomas in me makes me say they may not be bullets at all, just old chunks of lead! LOL They're all found on farmland without much history that's known(i.e., civil war, etc.). I'm attaching the photos I have on hand on the off chance they're good enough for someone to help me identify them! I'll take some better individual pictures tonight when I get home from work. The front three on the left in the group picture and the single picture are what I'm curious about. Also, the round ball just below the blue bullet(blue bullets??), it's almost perfect size for a .50 cal musket ball, BUT it is way too light in weight! Any ideas on that one? Thanks Folks! Happy Hunting!!

 

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[cudamark]

Is it metal? Looks like it might be a clay marble.

 

[releventchair]

I've had white build up on roundballs in a pouch.
Air and humidity factors , but in the case of my example , chemicals used to tan the hide bag was likely the greatest effect.
So your soil conditions factor.
Yes whitened lead has been in the earth longer than non whitened.
A decade can see quite a patina on lead recovered from shooting range berms. It all depends!

 

[ODELLRORRER]

Is it metal? Looks like it might be a clay marble.

I thought so too, but it's definitely metal. That tiny divot you can is a little triangular in shape.

 

[cudamark]

Does a magnet stick to it?

 

[Tedyoh]

Your blue bullet is a lead cast bullet someone made and powder coated it to reduce lead fowling in the barrel, along with limiting, almost eliminating, lead exposer to the shooter....I have about 100 pounds in my basement.....all different colors.

 

[Almy]

Most of the objects appear to be fired, fairly modern (like 20th century) lead bullets that have been deformed by whatever they hit.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Has a lot to do with the soil. I shoot muzzleloaders and have dug out white balls that are in my backstop and can't be more than 18 years old. Thicker would obviously take more time - but I don't think there is a way to date lead oxidation from just that.

 

[ODELLRORRER]

Does a magnet stick to it?

Nope, tried it last night...