Copper tool

[Mintberrycrunch]

Found on a river near known Indian mounds I was hoping copper culture probably wishful thinking any thoughts. Update after sending out a few emails to people dealing in bronze artifacts I may have a lead I'll post the email

 

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[CRUSADER]

Will you please let me know what you mean by healed? Or can anyone else explain this?

It simple means an old break before or after in went into the ground causing the broken end to gain the same patination as the rest of the object. New breaks have shinny metal, so 'heal' over time in the ground.

 

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[vhs07]

Maybe a piece from a prehistoric "Cootie Game"

 

[Mintberrycrunch]

It simple means an old break before or after in went into the ground causing the broken end to gain the same patination as the rest of the object. New breaks have shinny metal, so 'heal' over time in the ground.

i tried to get a better close up if it's broken it was used for something afterwards. Under my loop I can see that the ends are rolled inward.nothing to suggest a fracture imo. The ends are definitely tapered inwards the whole way around them.

 

[Mintberrycrunch]

Close up side view every side is rounded smooth how could it break like that? I'm I crazy I want to know if it's broken how did the ends get rounded off? I should be hearing from that last place any day. Until then am I the only one that thinks this thing looks intact?

 

[SkaBa]

Agree from pics, does not look broken.

 

[relic lover]

I do love a good mystery. I can't remember if you said it was found in the creek or on the bank. If it was in the creek it could be rounded off like a river rock?

sent from my computer by frantically poking at the keyboard with a single finger

 

[Mintberrycrunch]

I do love a good mystery. I can't remember if you said it was found in the creek or on the bank. If it was in the creek it could be rounded off like a river rock?

sent from my computer by frantically poking at the keyboard with a single finger

I was maybe 100 yards from the river. In the woods between the riverbank and the swampy area on the other side.

 

[Mintberrycrunch]

From that museum in London

 

[Mintberrycrunch]

A different person from that same museum hit me up this morning

 

[HenryWaltonJonesJr]

It sure seems to have held something between the tongs and with the bend it was broken and released. With the tapering I'd guess it would have held something that spun.

I'm thinking handheld blow spinner...or childs toy of some sort.

 

[Mintberrycrunch]

So I thanked her and asked if she would guess its age. And explained that I didn't find it in London I found it in the US here's what she said

 

[SkaBa]

OK, so none of the experts in the UK seem to have an idea what it is or really even venture a guess. Maybe you are trying to get info from the wrong geographic location. Have you tried any Scandinavian museums? Although you would think the UK people would recognize Scandinavian stuff. Maybe it is from a completely unexpected location.

It is interesting that nobody so far has a clue.

 

[Reed Lukens]

At first it looks like a handle from an old baby spoon but... Could be a fork with the front end broken off. I think that is a worn break from the handle of some old cutlery. Imagine that the 2 wire ends continue, spiral again and end up as a fork like in the pictures below



Or the ends like this -


This is easy stuff to make

 

[Mintberrycrunch]

At first it looks like a handle from an old baby spoon but... Could be a fork with the front end broken off. I think that is a worn break from the handle of some old cutlery. Imagine that the 2 wire ends continue, spiral again and end up as a fork like in the pictures below

View attachment 1374004

Or the ends like this -
View attachment 1374006

This is easy stuff to make

so a fork? Probably as good as I'm gonna get marking this baby solved

 

[SkaBa]

so a fork? Probably as good as I'm gonna get marking this baby solved

Not solved. You just gave up.

 

[rreahard]

Not solved. You just gave up.

lol I don't think it's solved either...

 

[Mintberrycrunch]

lol I don't think it's solved either...

You might be right I gave it a shot at dinner tonight it's an awful fork. But for real I did contact the British national museum. I've been emailing back and forth for the past few days no new information yet but I did get someone's attention and he passed it along to the duty curator which means it should start making its rounds to the rest of the staff. If they don't know what it is where do I contact next?

 

[GopherDaGold]

Could it be an ancient teething ring for a toddler?

 

[nhbenz]

Darn, if it were just a hair bigger it would be useful for picking up and tipping a bottle of hot sauce without getting goopy hands all over the bottle.

 

[coinman123]

I found this when research about native american copper. That swirl thing look similar.

The swirl design was commonly used in native american culture in that time. I wouldn't completely dismiss it being native.