🔎 UNIDENTIFIED I found this in the Deserts of the Southwest United States with my Gold Detector.

[warbike39]

I found this buried up a Canyon in the Deserts of the U.S southwest. It was inside a 100 year old lard can that was sealed with a lid and wrapped in what appeared to be calico that turned to ash when I unwrapped it. The corner had already been sawn off when I found it and still shines brightly like it was recently cut. It weighs 85 ounces and you can see by the photo of it in my hand how big it is. It is not magnetic. It is not lead, tin, nickel, iron, slag, aluminum, galena and it is not a meteorite. Perhaps an old prospector hid it there and died before he could return or forgot where he had hidden it? Several very old mines in the area.

 

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[warbike39]

I wouldn't sell it for 2 grand, I rarely sell any of my finds. The history behind the piece still has me enthralled. There have been educated guesses of its origin.

 

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[warbike39]

It is easy to measure the volume. Please do that and report.
Specific gravity = 85 oz/ volume. . . after converting to gm/cc.
Calculation: 85 oz x 28.3 gm/oz = 2400 gm; Volume(my guess) 15 cubic inches x 16.4 cc/cu in = 246 cc
Divide 2400 by 246 = approximately 10. Proving my estimate earlier wrong because I failed to convert my units! Sorry, new estimate is about 10 or so, which is close to silver, pointed out by your jeweler. That is likely it! Look for ways to get it smelted down to high purity and you have something worth some money. 85 oz x $22/oz = about $1900. Sell it and buy something nice!

Don't forget silver is measured in Troy ounces that actually contain 31.1 grams per ounce.

 

[warbike39]

You are also multiplying cubic inches by cubic centimers and coming g up with cubic centimeters?

Sorry I see what you did in your conversion, I will measure it up and see what I come up with. Thanks

 

[warbike39]

It is easy to measure the volume. Please do that and report.
Specific gravity = 85 oz/ volume. . . after converting to gm/cc.
Calculation: 85 oz x 28.3 gm/oz = 2400 gm; Volume(my guess) 15 cubic inches x 16.4 cc/cu in = 246 cc
Divide 2400 by 246 = approximately 10. Proving my estimate earlier wrong because I failed to convert my units! Sorry, new estimate is about 10 or so, which is close to silver, pointed out by your jeweler. That is likely it! Look for ways to get it smelted down to high purity and you have something worth some money. 85 oz x $22/oz = about $1900. Sell it and buy something nice!

I calculated it 3 times and comes out very close to 10.35 every time for specific gravity.
Thanks again for the help.
Dave

 

[Gare]

Specific Gravity Chart for Gold and Metals​

Specific Gravity Chart​

Metal or Alloy​	Density​
Actinium​	10.070​
Admiralty Brass​	8.525​
Aluminum​	2.712​
Aluminum – melted​	2.560 – 2.640​
Aluminum – 1100​	2.720​
Aluminum – 6061​	2.720​
Aluminum – 7050​	2.800​
Aluminum – 7178​	2.830​
Aluminum bronze (3-10% Al)​	7.700 – 8.700​
Aluminum foil​	2.700 -2.750​
Antifriction metal​	9.130 -10.600​
Antimony​	6.690​
Babbitt​	7.272​
Barium​	3.594​
Beryllium​	1.840​
Beryllium copper​	8.100 – 8.250​
Bismuth​	9.750​
Brass – casting​	8.400 – 8.700​
Brass – rolled and drawn​	8.430 – 8.730​
Brass 60/40​	8.520​
Bronze – lead​	7.700 – 8.700​
Bronze – phosphorous​	8.780 – 8.920​
Bronze (8-14% Sn)​	7.400 – 8.900​
Brushed metal​	7.860​
Cadmium​	8.640​
Caesium​	1.873​
Calcium​	1.540​
Cast iron​	6.800 – 7.800​
Cerium​	6.770​
Chemical Lead​	11.340​
Chromium​	7.190​
Cobalt​	8.746​
Constantan​	8.920​
Columbium​	8.600​
Constantan​	8.880​
Copper​	8.940​
Cupronickel​	8.908 – 8.940​
Delta metal​	8.600​
Duralumin​	2.790​
Electrum​	8.400 – 8.900​
Eroded metal​	7.860​
Europium​	5.243​
Gallium​	5.907​
Germanium​	5.323​
Gold​	19.320​
Hafnium​	13.310​
Hatelloy​	9.245​
Indium​	7.310​
Inconel​	8.497​
Incoloy​	8.027​
Iridium​	22.650​
Iron​	7.850​
Lanthanum​	6.145​
Lead​	11.340​
Light alloy based on Al​	2.560 – 2.800​
Light alloy based on Mg​	1.760 – 1.870​
Lithium​	.534​
Magnesium​	1.738​
Manganese​	7.440​
Manganese Bronze​	8.359​
Manganin​	8.500​
Mercury​	13.593​
Molybdenum​	10.188​
Monel​	8.360 – 8.840​
Neodymium​	7.007​
Nichrome​	8.400​
Nickel​	8.908​
Nickel 20​	8.090​
Nickel 200​	8.890​
Nickel silver​	8.400 – 8.900​
Nickeline​	8.770​
Nimonic​	8.100​
Niobium​	8.570​
Osmium​	22.610​
Palladium​	12.160​
Phosphor bronze​	8.900​
Platinum​	21.400​
Plutonium​	19.816​
Red Brass​	8.746​
Silver​	10.490​
Sodium​	.971​
Solder 50/50 Pb Sn​	8.885​
Stainless Steel​	7.480 – 8.000​
Steel​	7.850​
Tin​	7.280​
Titanium​	4.500​
Tungsten​	19.600​
Uranium​	18.900​
Vanadium​	5.494​
White metal​	7.100​
Wrought Iron​	7.750​
Zinc​	7.135​
Zirconium​	6.570​
Yellow Brass​	8.470​

VERY NICE Treasure_Hunter THANKS FOR POSTING !!

 

[dougachim]

Nice find, Warbike.

XRF Analysis in Socorro. $30

Expect approximately two or three weeks for letter of analyses to be returned to you by mail. You might speed things up by calling Virgil first to inform him you are sending the samples in.

New Mexico Bureau of Geology - NM Tech.
801 Leroy Place Socorro, NM 87801
Attn: Virgil Lueth 505 835-5140

Mineral testing

Where to get your minerals tested

www.durangosilver.com

Have a Good'un 👍

Virgil retired

 

[mdc002]

Looks like Basalt to me.

I don't think it's basalt. I have never seen basalt with a metalic sheen