Hammered copper star

[elkbee]

My grandfather said that he found this star (copper?) completely within a geode in the late 50's early 60's. I am assuming minerals formed around the object over time, but how long might this have taken? The star is approximately 4 3/4" and 1" deep. There are very smooth edges, as well as some eroded, irregular edges. No dates or markings of any kind. He found this in the Elaine, Arkansas area. My grandfather has been deceased for 30 years and I am unable to find anyone who remembers the story any better than I do. Thank you for any input.

 

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[diggummup]

As far as I know geodes take thousands of years to form sometimes millions of years.

 

[elkbee]

That's what I thought, but some of the edges seem to have been cut on this piece - by a hand tool. My uncle, who is now unable to tell me much, says that he was with Granddad and that they broke open the geode and the star appeared.

 

[johnnyi]

Is it possible that this wasn't actually in a geode, but might instead have been an unusually heavy deposit of crystalized copper sulfate produced by a reaction to the copper? (was the geode blue?)

 

[whynot]

It does appear to have been hand-crafted. Could the "geode" have been a mold of some sort, perhaps? You wouldn't still have the geode handy?

Perhaps your grandfather used a bit of sleight of hand to make this star appear I know some of my past relatives were some pretty sly old coots who loved to play tricks like this and never revealed what really happened...
-whynot

 

[elkbee]

I am really trying to find out for my uncle's sake. He was in his 40's (90+ now) when it was found. He has told the story so long, and it is one of those distant memories he keeps talking about. I think if it had been a joke, he would not be so obsessed with it now. His story never changes and he seems very serious. It doesn't really matter what, where or why. It has always been considered a curiosity as I was growing up. I just wondered if there was some simple something that might explain it.

 

[diggummup]

Is it possible that this wasn't actually in a geode, but might instead have been an unusually heavy deposit of crystalized copper sulfate produced by a reaction to the copper? (was the geode blue?)

Sounds reasonable to me.

 

[allan]

looks like a cookie cutter

 

[jhenry]

thats a verry interisting story and I cant ID the star but the geode may have been a concreation manny have formed in the bogs in England around shell casings from WW2 and it would appear to look much like a geode hope this helps

 

[Breezie]

I thought this was an interesting story:

The Story of the Coso Artifact​

On February 13, 1961, Wallace Lane, Virginia Maxey, and Mike Mikesell were seeking interesting mineral specimens, particularly geodes, for their "LM & V Rockhounds Gem and Gift Shop" in Olancha, California. On this particular day, the trio was about six miles northeast of Olancha, near the top of a peak about 4300 feet in elevation and about 340 feet above the dry bed of Owens Lake. According to Maxey, "We hiked about three miles north, after we had parked some five miles east of State Highway 395, south of Olancha, California." At lunchtime, after collecting rocks most of the morning, all three placed their specimens in the rock sack Mikesell was carrying.

The next day in the gift shop's workroom, Mikesell ruined a nearly new diamond saw blade while cutting what he thought was a geode. Inside the nodule that was cut, Mikesell did not find the cavity that is typical of geodes, but a perfectly circular section of very hard, white material that appeared to be porcelain. In the center of the porcelain cylinder, was a 2-millimeter shaft of bright metal. The metal shaft responded to a magnet.

There were still other odd qualities about the specimen. The outer layer of the specimen was encrusted with fossil shells and their fragments. In addition to shells, the discoverers noticed two nonmagnetic metallic metal objects in the crust, resembling a nail and a washer. Stranger still, the inner layer was hexagonal and seemed to form a casing around the hard porcelain cylinder. Within the inner layer, a layer of decomposing copper surrounded the porcelain cylinder.

Here is the rest of the story:
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/coso.html

 

[trikikiwi]

I thought this was an interesting story:

The Story of the Coso Artifact​

On February 13, 1961, Wallace Lane, Virginia Maxey, and Mike Mikesell were seeking interesting mineral specimens, particularly geodes, for their "LM & V Rockhounds Gem and Gift Shop" in Olancha, California. On this particular day, the trio was about six miles northeast of Olancha, near the top of a peak about 4300 feet in elevation and about 340 feet above the dry bed of Owens Lake. According to Maxey, "We hiked about three miles north, after we had parked some five miles east of State Highway 395, south of Olancha, California." At lunchtime, after collecting rocks most of the morning, all three placed their specimens in the rock sack Mikesell was carrying.

The next day in the gift shop's workroom, Mikesell ruined a nearly new diamond saw blade while cutting what he thought was a geode. Inside the nodule that was cut, Mikesell did not find the cavity that is typical of geodes, but a perfectly circular section of very hard, white material that appeared to be porcelain. In the center of the porcelain cylinder, was a 2-millimeter shaft of bright metal. The metal shaft responded to a magnet.

There were still other odd qualities about the specimen. The outer layer of the specimen was encrusted with fossil shells and their fragments. In addition to shells, the discoverers noticed two nonmagnetic metallic metal objects in the crust, resembling a nail and a washer. Stranger still, the inner layer was hexagonal and seemed to form a casing around the hard porcelain cylinder. Within the inner layer, a layer of decomposing copper surrounded the porcelain cylinder.

Here is the rest of the story:
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/coso.html

Interesting story Breezie, Thanks It appears the general consensus is/was it's a contemporary spark plug.
My gut feeling is that the elkbee's artifact is also 'not that old'.
Mike

 

[elkbee]

Thank you to all! I think I am pretty much where I started...
1. Very heavy, star-shaped, hammered copper curio/bowl.
2. At least 50 years old (plus however long it took for mud and minerals to encase it).
3. Not a geode.
4. An obsession of my uncle's.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all!
elkbee & Uncle Fred