Dumb luck and a silver lining? Literally!

[thecolonel]

SPRING is here and I grab my detector any chance I get. An overload of youtube videos had me totally ready for a successful day of detecting. After about an hour of hunting trashy trails near a state park here in Southern NH, I began to lose that "can do" attitude. As if I didnt get my fill of trash, I headed over to the Hampstead transfer station. In the old days there was trash dumped and burned there. I have pulled many of good dug bottles in a small patch of land which is littered with old time glass, marbles, broken china, pottery and possibly old coins. So I was hoping to pull out some wheaties, buffalos and some silver. It was tough going as my detector, which was set to coins, chattered like my wife during my favorite t.v. shows. I was about to give up that area when I got a solid silver dollar signal. It repeated a perfect signal over and over again. Then when I dug, I was expected to see the glint of silver. I finally got it out of the hole, but where was it? It was now out of the hole. But still, no sign of silver. Ran the coil over the loose soil and the was nothing but a flat rock. Ran the coil over it and pow, it was the "rock". It was heavier than it should have been, so when I got to the pavement, I scraped it across the surface. There was a glimmer of silver. I pocketed it and when I got back to the shop, I put the grinder to two corners. There it was. Silver. A melted blob of silver. 2.33 oz. To be exact. I will take it to my jeweler buddy tomorrow so he can have a look and put some acid to it. In the mean time, I put some silver polish to the ground corners and the cloth turned black as I rubbed it. So, my grey day did, literally., have a silver lining. 2.33 oz worth. Anyone else ever find something like this?

 

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[RobRieman]

That is cool as can be if it is silver. Kinda looks like the big blobs of melted aluminum I find.

 

[thecolonel]

I can see what you mean, but this piece is 2.33 oz and aluminum would be much lighter.

 

[BryanM362]

I can see what you mean, but this piece is 2.33 oz and aluminum would be much lighter.

Very cool, if it is Silver! Reminds me of the blobs of melted solder I have found. They would be heavier like silver.

Keep us posted!

 

[thecolonel]

Solder can be bent. Definately silver. The tone was exact. Non-magnetic. Not aluminum and not solder. Will know for sure tomorrow.

 

[dirtdigginfool]

I actually found 2 blobs almost exactly like that today! Heavier than aluminum but lighter than lead...almost didn't keep them but I threw them in the pouch anyway...just may have to dig'em out and look a little closer. This was near an old sandstone quarry very close to where the train used to run through to haul the stone. Thanks for sharing..ddf

 

[jeweler21]

I found a piece like that last year. I weighed the specific gravity and it was babbit. Someone had been putting rod bearings in an old car.
Good luck & HH

 

[rykroll]

Umm I have found a lot of those I threw them away I thought it was melted aluminum

 

[BryanM362]

Solder can be bent. Definately silver. The tone was exact. Non-magnetic. Not aluminum and not solder. Will know for sure tomorrow.

Solder that thick wont bend easily.

 

[BryanM362]

Did you get it tested? What's the verdict?

 

[fella]

Pot metal!

 

[thecolonel]

It is silver. My jeweler friend did his acid test on it. He wanted to buy it for $32. I DECLINED. ha ha. When I was younger, I found a handful of silver bars the size of a carpenters pencil. Silversmiths would use then while hammering silver and creating items. These bars were anywhere from 3" up to 8". Very neat. This coild have been one of those.

 

[BryanM362]

It is silver. My jeweler friend did his acid test on it. He wanted to buy it for $32. I DECLINED. ha ha. When I was younger, I found a handful of silver bars the size of a carpenters pencil. Silversmiths would use then while hammering silver and creating items. These bars were anywhere from 3" up to 8". Very neat. This coild have been one of those.

Cool! Congrats!

 

[rykroll]

Crap I through a few of similar looking rocks away

 

[boris]

View attachment 984687 Is it shaped like an animal like a hogge? Around here SI, Roman numerals and boats are on mine, largest marked MP small ones are v p and x p cp dp etc. many made of broken plate.

 

[boris]

View attachment 984717View attachment 984718

 

[Abrook]

I have found several of things like that, some are shinny when you scrape them, not lead but not light weight like alumi. Can't wait for you to post your results.

 

[RobRieman]

I have found several of things like that, some are shinny when you scrape them, not lead but not light weight like alumi. Can't wait for you to post your results.

Ummmm.... He already did.

 

[Normsel]

I found the same thing last fall in an old burned homesite. I kept getting solid hits telling me it was silver so I dug them and it kept it. Well I had it tested yesterday and the purity was from .800 to .925. I have a total of 4 pounds 10 ounces. I was offered $700 cash but decided to wait and see if silver rises a bit before selling.

I have dugs lot of aluminum blobs and I could tell mine wasn't aluminum it was to heavy by volume and like I said I finally I had it tested yesterday.

 

[thecolonel]

I found the same thing last fall in an old burned homesite. I kept getting solid hits telling me it was silver so I dug them and it kept it. Well I had it tested yesterday and the purity was from .800 to .925. I have a total of 4 pounds 10 ounces. I was offered $700 cash but decided to wait and see if silver rises a bit before selling.

I have dugs lot of aluminum blobs and I could tell mine wasn't aluminum it was to heavy by volume and like I said I finally I had it tested yesterday.

Those were about the same readings that the jeweler gave me. Very interesting.