Ax head but how old

[fortbball9]

I found this ax head at an old torn down church site (early 1800).Any clue on how old this is and the proper name of the ax type. Dimension 9 x 6 1/2
Thanks in advance

 

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[Gypsy Heart]

Almost looks like it was a bearded axe

 

[woody50]

I think its called a broadaxe, and pretty hard to date, these in the photos under here dated to the 1860's. Here are a couple of photos... These were found in diggings from an CW encampment...
quote:

During the harsh winter of 1862-3, the Federal Army of the Potomac encamped just outside Fredericksburg and throughout the rest of Stafford County, Virginia. They built thousands of small log huts to endure the cold weather, and established an extensive military city that encompassed hundreds of acres of land.

When the army departed the camps in the spring of 1863, an immense amount of debris was left behind by Federal soldiers, including scores of commonly issued tools. Many of these relics were later excavated by 20th century historians seeking to document the camps and learn from the items left behind by Civil War troops.

 

[mojjax]

It kinda looks like a strange variation of a coopers hatchet . I've never seen anything like it . Nice find !

 

[lonesomebob]

Possibly what was called a goose wing style broad axe, used for making sqyare hewn beams. Bob

 

[fortbball9]

Also this ax locks in on 8 1/2 on the garrett 550 the same as a dime and quarter,at 8 inches deep.Would anybody know what kind of metal that would be.I thought just iron the way that it is rusted,but I don't know now.

fortbball9

 

[Montana Jim]

Also this ax locks in on 8 1/2 on the garrett 550 the same as a dime and quarter,at 8 inches deep.Would anybody know what kind of metal that would be.I thought just iron the way that it is rusted,but I don't know now.

fortbball9

iron.

 

[relichunters]

You can tell Iron from the orange rust texture

 

[BioProfessor]

The rust on the iron (and the "halo" around the object) will give you those funky readings. Typically the values fluctuate quite a bit when you swing over it so you can begin to ID it as rusty iron.

Daryl

 

[woody50]

It kinda looks like a strange variation of a coopers hatchet . I've never seen anything like it . Nice find !

Yes there is not much difference between a coopers and broadaxe, same purpose. The photos that I uploaded appear to be made earlier than the one that fortbball9 found....

 

[Monty]

Most resembles a shaping axe because of the weird shape I think? Monty

 

[fortbball9]

Thanks for all of the info.
BioProfessor the reading don't change when you swing your coil over at 8 inches deep,but it does change the closer you get to the object.Because when it locked in on a quarter signal that is why I dug it.The more dirt that I removed from the hole that is when it changed.

fortbball9

 

[BioProfessor]

That's what I was trying to say. Dig. Swing. Dig. Swing. Numbers change/drop. But I was also trying to say that if you swing over the target in one direction and then rotate your swing 90 degrees (as I always do with an "iffy" target) it will be different. Sometimes, it will change when you swing along the same axis. That is definitely iron. But some iron that is rusted is tricky. I usually stop digging after 6-8 inches when the numbers either start to go crazy, my Signagraph shows a BUNCH of bars, or it goes negative.


Daryl

 

[fortbball9]

That's what I was trying to say. Dig. Swing. Dig. Swing. Numbers change/drop. But I was also trying to say that if you swing over the target in one direction and then rotate your swing 90 degrees (as I always do with an "iffy" target) it will be different. Sometimes, it will change when you swing along the same axis. That is definitely iron. But some iron that is rusted is tricky. I usually stop digging after 6-8 inches when the numbers either start to go crazy, my Signagraph shows a BUNCH of bars, or it goes negative.


Daryl

Thanks I haven't been doing this all that long so any help to me is greatly appreciated.I try not to dig to many iron signals,even when I am MD a battlefield.I will go back one of these days and start digging them.The places that I dig a lot of other people does also,so I try to get the good ones first.
Thanks again for all of the info

fortbball9

 

[woody50]

That's what I was trying to say. Dig. Swing. Dig. Swing. Numbers change/drop. But I was also trying to say that if you swing over the target in one direction and then rotate your swing 90 degrees (as I always do with an "iffy" target) it will be different. Sometimes, it will change when you swing along the same axis. That is definitely iron. But some iron that is rusted is tricky. I usually stop digging after 6-8 inches when the numbers either start to go crazy, my Signagraph shows a BUNCH of bars, or it goes negative.
Daryl

Thanks I haven't been doing this all that long so any help to me is greatly appreciated.I try not to dig to many iron signals,even when I am MD a battlefield.I will go back one of these days and start digging them.The places that I dig a lot of other people does also,so I try to get the good ones first.
Thanks again for all of the info
fortbball9

That is one of the reasons why I have NOT used detectors with meters for about 13 years now, my ear is better, and I waste too much valuable time looking at the d a m n meter. And since I AM married, I don't have all that free time, if you know what I mean.

Also, since I live here in Europe, and Europe is much older than the US, I tend to dig most every signal. I can hear with my ear if its a ferrous or nonferrous object, and how large, and also how deep, of course not 100% either. And to a degree because iron is the hardest. Especially deep iron as it is harder to determine the deeper it is. Yes, the closer you get to large iron the better you know what it is. The quality of a metal detectors discrimination gets less and less with more depth so I do get fooled by some deeper iron signals, but on the other hand have found great finds by digging them. If you are or have searched battlefields, or old sites, dig EVERY signal, you will be surprised. And by removing trash you will hear some good signals, and if it is a good site you will want to return and search again. So get rid of the junk, take it with you to the side of the field or get rid of it someplace away from the field. I use the many canals here in Holland for that purpose.

So I guess I do dig more holes than someone with a meter, but I do that also with people using a non meter detector too. But I have a manner of digging a hole quickly, looking briefly at the find, put it away, close the hole and move on (again, my misses wants me home so I have little time). I don't linger or look longer at the find, I can do that at home, and I want to cover more ground. You pretty well know how old something is and get an idea if you should continue in that spot in the field. IF I FIND one coin or nonferrous object in an area I continue. That means it was NOT searched properly. Good sites I grid out. And mostly in three directions if it is a REALLY good field, not two directions.

I mostly find more than my buddies, not better always, but more (about twice). And I have had a number of times that a coin delivers a sound sort of like a iron signal, then a meter does not help either, it just jumps around. A last tip, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, check the hole again when the signal disappears from the hole and you can't find the object in the removed dirt. By me then it's still in the hole, but in the loose dirt, maybe turned small side up. CAREFULLY look again in the hole, scoop it out.

PS: I am not against meters, back then I also had good luck with them in my early days (the 80's). But when I gained experience with listening to the signals I looked less and less, until I did not use them anymore. This is also just one man's experience.... Hope it helps.