Found what appears to be a ring...

[Cubfan64]

Found this item on an ocean beach the other night. It was dark so I really didn't do anything more than pop it into my goodie bag and hope it turned out to be silver.

Much to my dismay it turns out that it's made of lead and tin (analyzed in a lab where I work). I posted it on another site I frequent and had some suggestions as to what it might be, but thought I'd check here and see if anyone had run across one or knew for certain what it was.

The suggestions and my comments are as follows:

1) Rosary ring - looked them up online and most all of them have 10 "nubs" around the edges and most importantly have a cross in one of the locations so that you can tell when you've completed your 10 prayers - this "ring" has 7 nubs and no cross

2) Fighter's ring - sort of like a poor man's "brass knuckles" - wear it when you fight and it cuts the person you punch - this seems possible, but never heard of anything like that

3) Simple junk kids ring - unless it's old, I find it hard to believe anyone would make a ring out of lead with all the toxicity issues surrounding lead these days

4) Fitting for some kind of machinery - that was my first thought too as it looked like one of those lock nuts you thread onto conduit pipes, but it has no threads and being mostly lead, it's so soft I don't see how it could be used in any piece of machinery.

Thanks for looking.

 

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[mountainplayer]

Cubfan,

Looks like something intended for jewelry rather than defense to me, but all I've got is an opinion! It might help if you'd take photos alongside something that can serve as a reference to size.

I'd be happy with it even if it stays mystery.

MP

 

[Mainedigger]

Cubfan...not sure if that is one, but I ahve herd of fighters rings...and they are not for defense, but offense..mainly to rip and shred with every punch and to get someone bleeding fast, hit them above the eye and get the blood flowing into their eye and they can;t see, game over....not pretty, but VERY effective.

 

[Cubfan64]

Here's a picture with it next to a Jefferson nickel. It's definitely ring sized and shaped - I'm gonna do some searching online for fighter's rings and see if I can come up with something - it definitely fits the fact that it's made of a cheap metal

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

H ey Cubfan! How are you? can't wait for spring! Unless you folks want to do a winter beach hunt still?

Looks like a ring to me if it's the right size. Look at the wear on the nubs on the ring it was worn for a long time spinning around on the finger? Looks like it was worn alot? Fighting ring may be it? Just a guess.

Nice to see your post, Have awonderful night!

 

[Cubfan64]

Hi Country Girl - maybe I should have the ring nubs tested for blood (hehe). Seriously, I think it probably is a ring and the idea of the fighting ring sounds plausible. A winter beach hunt always sounds fun, but as the weather gets worse it almost ends up being a "spur of the moment" kind of thing due to winds, waves and tides. It could be good hunting for 2-3 hours and then be lousy after that again for the next week or more.

It's amazing what the ocean can do!!

I'm still looking forward to coming back down your way to hunt some more around your home as well as doing some indian artifact hunting with you guys along the river!

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

Can't wait it was fun!

 

[Mainedigger]

Cubfan...what beaches you hunting? Seabrook, Hampton? Rye, Portsmouth? Lotta old houses down that way if you can get permission to hunt them, especially around Portsmouth and alot of them go back to Rev. time.

 

[Cubfan64]

Mostly Salisbury and Hampton, but I've hit Rye, Glaucester, Crane, York and even Revere once. I haven't had the guts to ask any homeowners around that area if I could hunt their property or not - I just got back into detecting this spring and my skill level at digging in grass without leaving any sign isn't the best yet, so I don't feel comfortable asking right now.

I can tell you I've had to wipe the drool from the corner of my mouth a few times though when I see some of those old homes along the shore!!

 

[Mainedigger]

Mostly Salisbury and Hampton, but I've hit Rye, Glaucester, Crane, York and even Revere once. I haven't had the guts to ask any homeowners around that area if I could hunt their property or not - I just got back into detecting this spring and my skill level at digging in grass without leaving any sign isn't the best yet, so I don't feel comfortable asking right now.

I can tell you I've had to wipe the drool from the corner of my mouth a few times though when I see some of those old homes along the shore!!

Cubfan...try out to Plum Island as well.Coast Guard base on the River and also by the jetties, lotta fishing off those and the beaches are semi-private and the drop off on the beach is alot more drastic than the beaches around there so alot more under tow and chance of lost jewelery from the larger waves.....you're really drool driving thru Newburyport.... Also don;t forget Portsmouth...alot of old forts and prisons there by and on the Piscataqua (sp.?) River, not sure if they are historical sites or not but if not they are a must to hit. Cross over the river and hit Kittery as well.

 

[Cubfan64]

Hehe - dang, I've barely scratched the surface at the beache's I HAVE hunted and now you've given me months more research to do

If you're ever lookin for some company hunting up in Maine, give me a shout - always fun meeting other detectorists! I'll give some of those areas a try!

 

[Mainedigger]

Hehe - dang, I've barely scratched the surface at the beache's I HAVE hunted and now you've given me months more research to do

If you're ever lookin for some company hunting up in Maine, give me a shout - always fun meeting other detectorists! I'll give some of those areas a try!

Cubfan...will do. I used to live down that way 20 years ago and I think I still know some people in the area, Newburyport and Portsmouth and the surrounding area have some PRIME spots with lots of potential as does the Merrimack Valley. Alot of the older homes aer maintained by the historical societies so may take some major schmoozing to get permission to hunt those,but who knows? Think I gotta take a road trip this winter and see who I know down there still, am drooling as I recall some of the areas there.... Sounds like a good winter project....

 

[Cubfan64]

Hehe - dang, I've barely scratched the surface at the beache's I HAVE hunted and now you've given me months more research to do

If you're ever lookin for some company hunting up in Maine, give me a shout - always fun meeting other detectorists! I'll give some of those areas a try!

Cubfan...will do. I used to live down that way 20 years ago and I think I still know some people in the area, Newburyport and Portsmouth and the surrounding area have some PRIME spots with lots of potential as does the Merrimack Valley. Alot of the older homes aer maintained by the historical societies so may take some major schmoozing to get permission to hunt those,but who knows? Think I gotta take a road trip this winter and see who I know down there still, am drooling as I recall some of the areas there.... Sounds like a good winter project....

Absolutely!! Where are you in Maine? I'm in Londonderry, NH and there's plenty of areas around here to hunt - problem is I only moved out here 3 years ago from the midwest so I have no local contacts at all to get me any of those "ins" and am just starting to learn about the history of the area. Once I feel more comfortable with my ability to dig coins from landscaped lawns, I'll start asking for permission at a few places - until then, I'm just filling up a folder with historical information and potential locations to hunt.

Thanks alot for all the info. - looking forward to our paths crossing sometime!

 

[Mainedigger]

Cubfan....I lived in Londonderry for a couple of years...lot of history there so alot of good sites in town to hit. I gotta get back there to get in the libraryand historical society to do some genealogy research, might be a good time to try some spots. You should try around some of the old farms and apple orchards in town until you get your confidence up on your digging skills. You may find some items the farmer lost and get you an in for doing on his and other lawns. For Londonderry is still somewhat of a small town and the farmers all know one another and if you get in good with one, you're golden with the rest. Also works the other way too..piss one off and you;re doomed with all the rest...
Right now I live on an island in Casco Bay just N.E. of Porltand, I grew up in Mass. in the Merrimack Valley, was born in Boston....so spent ALOT of time at the beaches there...Salisbury, Plum Island, Hampton, Rye etc...wish I was detecting back then for knew alot of old families that owned alot of the older homes in the various towns...many have probably died and moved off now and I probably won;t know alot that are left... But that isn;t gonna stop me from looking into it.. Definitely would enjoy getting together for a hunt or two or three...damn winter coming though and that depresses me... Spring will be right around the corner but that is jsut a tease until mud season gets over with...

HH!!

 

[hollowpointred]

dont know what it is but if it were a fighting ring would it not be made of a harder metal than lead? wouldnt do you much good to punch someone in the eye with it and have it deform all over your finger.

 

[Cubfan64]

Small world

Your suggestion of trying the farms and orchards is exactly what I had planned to do this fall, but between wanting to hit the beaches, work getting very busy and too many chores to do around the house, I had to put it off until spring. You're sure right that there's alot of history around here and as long as I'm reasonably careful and fill my holes, I can't imagine a farmer minding me doing some digging in his field or orchard if I ask nicely. He'd probably be happy to see me pull out a bushel basket of scrap metal junk which I'd certainly show him

I'll pick out a few locations this winter and approach the farmer in the very early spring before any planting time and see what they say. In the short time I've been here, I can tell that Londonderry and Derry both have the same kind of "small town" feel that I'm used to from Illinois and Wisconsin - in fact I'd have to say people around here are a level or two more reserved as far as relating to newcomers. I have a nice personality though and I won't argue when I get a no answer to my request. I even thought about posting a notice at a few grocery stores offering my services in finding any lost items if someone has a good idea of where it was lost - maybe even offer my services to the police station as well.

Definitely keep in touch and I'll drop you a line now and then as well and hopefully we can hook up for a few hunts next year.

Speaking of hunts, I don't know if you did any winter hunting along the ocean beaches here, but a few guys I've been corresponding with have told me that if you watch the sand and get out there when alot of it has been pulled off the beach after strong NE'str storms, there's lots of stuff to be found - especially around Hampton and Salisbury. It's a matter of being at the right place at the right time, but I plan to get out there when I get a chance - neither snow nor rain nor sleet etc... I may be crazy, but if I have a shot at finding some older coins and jewelry in December/January, I'll bundle up and get out there!! If you've got a waterproof detector, keep an eye on the weather this winter and maybe you can get motivated to suit up and come on down for a day of hunting as well.

Thanks again for all the info - talk to you again soon.

 

[Cubfan64]

dont know what it is but if it were a fighting ring would it not be made of a harder metal than lead? wouldnt do you much good to punch someone in the eye with it and have it deform all over your finger.

True, but I think that's where the tin added with it comes in. When I say it's soft, it has that "dead" sound to it when you drop it on a hard surface and if I look at it under a microscope, I can use a sharp object to very easily gouge into it - on the other hand, I tried squeezing it between my fingers to deform it, and although I think if I really put some force into it - like pushing it against a solid surface - I could get it to bend, it's not nearly as easy as a 100% lead object would be.

Honestly don't know what it is, but it goes into my treasure chest of loot anyways - if nothing else it's a conversation piece

 

[hollowpointred]

i see.........it does look like a ring of some sort. interesting find no matter what it turns out to be.

 

[Mainedigger]

Cubfan....the beach after a major winter storm sounds like a great chance to find stuff as you stated...never tried it but have always thougth about it...Plum Island would be choice for this for the tides and surf can rage their during a storm, more so than elsewhere in that area due to the fast drop off as I stated earlier. Not sure if they are still in business anymore, but check with Elwood Orchards. As for the friendly reserve you are finding, welcome to New England, get used to it... You could live there for 40 years and still be considered "from away"... Posting at the grocery store offering your services would be very helpful and get your name spread around fast (especially if you find and return some lost item)....don;t charge for it, your payment will be trust and word of mouth,and permission to hunt some yards.
As for the ring being made of lead and therefore not being a fighting ring...I think most were made of lead and the "points" made of tin or some other ripping metal. Made of lead for you would want some flex in it on your finger so you would be less likely to shatter your finger with each punch.
Also trade in your Cubs hat for or at least buy a Red Sox hat... Altough Sox fans can relate and sympathize with Cubs fans fairly well...