Another shipwreck question if I may...

[drumrun]

Hello Tnet, got a question on a piece I recently found. Comes from the coast of North Carolina. The piece is about 8' long, 10" wide and 3" thick. It contains wooden nails, square hammered nails and what appears to be copper or zinc nails. The odd part is it has what seems to be a copper or zinc skin attached to it. I have never seen nor heard of this being a common practice. A look on line reveals the Royal Navel and a few others did this for their warm water vessels during the 1750-1850. Anyone have any clues, am I way off base??
Thank you for any insight...

 

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[seekerGH]

Easy to test the sheathing, although that looks like lead...sheathing was very common on wooden ships, from Roman times to the 1900's

A nail pull would help, and I think a few would be interested if they were copper.

Royal Naval:

 

[drumrun]

Easy to test the sheathing, although that looks like lead...sheathing was very common on wooden ships, from Roman times to the 1900's

A nail pull would help, and I think a few would be interested if they were copper.

Royal Naval:
View attachment 1404824

Thank you for the response. I think it is Muntz Metal. I kept it fresh water for 3 weeks, pulled it out let it dry and coated it in boiled linseed oil.
This is what it looks like now.

 

[ropesfish]

Lee Spence wrote a good article on Muntz Metal (which is still manufactured, commonly referred to as C280 brass) here:
MUNTZ METAL HULL SHEATHING « Shipwrecks.com

 

[seekerGH]

"Muntz metal, which is usually called “Yellow Metal” or abbreviated as “Y.M.” in Lloyd’s Register and in ship’s logs, is a variety of the alloy brass consisting of 60 percent copper, 40 percent zinc and a trace of iron,"

Well, there you go, pXRF's are everywhere...so are lead test kits. If it tests for lead, it is not Muntz.

Given the timeframe you gave, it would not be Muntz...

 

[drumrun]

"Muntz metal, which is usually called “Yellow Metal” or abbreviated as “Y.M.” in Lloyd’s Register and in ship’s logs, is a variety of the alloy brass consisting of 60 percent copper, 40 percent zinc and a trace of iron,"

Well, there you go, pXRF's are everywhere...so are lead test kits. If it tests for lead, it is not Muntz.

Given the timeframe you gave, it would not be Muntz...

Seeker, I could be way off on the dates. Just my best guess. What do you think we a re looking at?
Thank you.

 

[njcommercialdiver]

that link was very informative, ive never seen any of this, just various lead patches, like the one i got off an undated as of yet (nothing date specific recovered yet) sailing vessel in Raritan Bay off Sandy Hook NJ which we call "the spike wreck" as the upper part is covered in small bronze spikes.