Found an Ingot

[N.J.THer]

I've been metal detecting for about a year. A member of T-Net since Nov. 2006 and the owner of a new digital camera since last week. By best treasure I've found to date is my wife and she gave me the camera for my birthday. So here is my first of hopefully many posts of finds to come in the next few weeks while I get caught up.

Now on to the find....this is my first and only ingot. I found it in my own backyard and is the most interesting thing I have found on my property. It was around 9 inches deep. It measures 5 inches wide, 2 1/2 inches deep and 1 1/2 inches high. I did not weight it but it is heavy.

The picture above includes a picture of the Tatham Brothers Lead factory down in Philadelphia. The picture is from 1847. Here is a closer picture of the top of the ingot where it was stamped with the name 'TATHAM'.

[url=http://[[IMG]http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z41/treasurenet/P5260030.jpg[/img]/url]

Here is a picture of the side. The ingot is in the typical bar shape you see with gold bars in Fort Knox. Too bad this is lead and not gold.

[url=http://[IMG]http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z41/treasurenet/P5260031.jpg[/img]]][Here is a link to the picture of the factory.

[url=http://www.lcpgraphics.org/wainwright/W364.htm]http://www.lcpgraphics.org/wainwright/W364.htm[/url]

If anyone has any additional information on this ingot or Tatham Brother I would love to hear it.

Thanks for looking and happy hunting.

NJ

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Family Maps of Hinds County, Mississippi, Deluxe Edition - Grab it through Amazon!

[Sheldius]

Great find.

How old could it be (when did the foundry close)? If it is older the 60-70 years, it might be low enough in radioactivity to be valuable for use in electrical switches. Especially since you have a few pounds.

http://www.reed-electronics.com/semiconductor/article/CA163876?pubdate=1/1/1999

There is also a Tnet thread about it. Don't know who you would sell it to, though.

Good Luck,

HH.

 

[DJ_Quinn]

Wow! That's still a great find, very historic and unsusual. You've got one of the coolest paperweights I've seen now, congrats. (p.s. have you thought about seeing an alchemist?)

 

[Bavaria Mike]

Nice piece of history, congrats! HH, Mike

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

Great find. Paint it gold and have a lot of fun with your friends. Tell them you found huge gold bar with your metal detector. They probalby won't believe you till you tell them to pick it up.

 

[CRUSADER]

Good find.

Wouldn't want to drop that on your toe.

 

[Boobydoo]

That's a really cool find. Glad you got the camera now.
That thing must be heavy... yes, too bad it isn't gold, you could retire.

Smiles!
BDoo

 

[Dman]

Nice find

 

[LuisTH]

And odd find, but it is still cool.

 

[N.J.THer]

Thanks for the replies. I may have to take it to work and use it as a paperweight.

 

[RUDY2003]

Cool ingot, too bad it wasn't silver.....

 

[dgaughan]

congrats on a cool find good luck and hh