Found Along Southern Oregon Coast

[TonyK]

Hello All, any help with these items would be appreciated! Found them in about 6-8" of clayey soils on a bluff about 100' above the Pacific Ocean in a wooded area. Instrument used was an Equinox 800. The two nails/spikes are ferrous and the other item is made of some other non-magnetic detectable material. Too heavy for Aluminum, looks grayish in color and bright metallic when scratched with a knife. The backside looks hinged as if it was a buckle of some sort. Thanks again for any feedback!

 

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[dozer dan]

Around brookings?

 

[TonyK]

Coos Bay area.

 

[Deftone]

Coos Bay. The furthest place I've ever traveled to from Oklahoma. Spent a week in Idaho camping. Rain central it was.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Welcome to Tnet from Toronto Tony.

To me, the iron pieces all look to have been buried in the ground for a long period of time, I often find nails with this type of heavy rust in very old farm fields.
This piece is probably made of pot metal, "the other item is made of some other non-magnetic detectable material".
Dave

"Pot metal, also known as monkey metal, white metal or die-cast zinc, is a colloquial term that refers to alloys that consist of inexpensive, low-melting-point metals used to make fast, inexpensive castings. In the late nineteenth century, pot metal referred specifically to a copper alloy that was primarily alloyed with lead. Mixtures of 67% copper with 29% lead and 4% antimony and another one of 80% copper with 20% lead were common formulations. The primary component of pot metal is zinc, but often the caster adds other metals to the mix to strengthen the cast part, improve the flow of the molten metal, or to reduce cost.

There is no metallurgical standard for pot metal. Common metals in pot metal include zinc, lead, copper, tin, magnesium, aluminum, iron, and cadmium. The primary advantage of pot metal is that it is quick and easy to cast. Because of its low melting temperature, it requires no sophisticated foundry equipment or specialized molds. Manufacturers sometimes use it to experiment with molds and ideas before casting final products in a higher quality alloy. Depending on the exact metals "thrown into the pot," pot metal can become unstable over time, as it has a tendency to bend, distort, crack, shatter, and pit with age. The low boiling point of zinc and fast cooling of newly cast parts often trap air bubbles within the cast part, weakening it. Many components common in pot metal are susceptible to corrosion from airborne acids and other contaminants, and internal corrosion of the metal often causes decorative plating to flake off. Pot metal is not easily glued, soldered, or welded."

 

[TonyK]

Thanks for the info!

 

[Mud Hut]

To me, the bottom piece looks like a key that would have opened what appears to be the remains of an old corrugated sardine can that is just above it. The third piece looks like a nail.