ID This Ship spike

[TreasureHuntress2010]

Okay guys, a few years ago I was walking along the beach and I began talking to a man who does metal detecting for a hobby. I asked him what he had found that day and he held out two coins and a ship spike. (I had no idea that it was a ship spike of course). He said he had others at home so he gave me the spike to keep. It has a square head and is heavy, it also has some specs of something shiny in it. I remember him telling me that it was from a ship dating back to the 1800s and he also said something about the material having some specs of either gold, or silver in it. I would really like to know more about the history of the ships being built with these spikes and I would also like to know what material it is. Any info would be great!

 

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[bradyboy]

need more pics, less your fingers
need complete dimensions
need a nice pic of the end under your thumb
Looks like Brass?
Brady

 

[Tony in SC]

Started just before the Bronze age, and still use brass nails today. Tony

 

[TreasureHuntress2010]

tony...would you be able to tell how old it is or from what kind of ship?

 

[TreasureHuntress2010]

 

[TreasureHuntress2010]

I'm fascinated by the history

Im hearing that this spike is over two hundred years old. i would love to know the history. what kind of ship, what the specs are that are shinning, the value of something such as this.

 

[TreasureHuntress2010]

brady i posted a few more pics below. would love to find out more info.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Looks like a bench dog.

 

[TreasureHuntress2010]

its similar but the head at the top is really square and there are a lot of flecs of some kind of metal in it...

 

[Tony in SC]

I don't think it is a spike. The head looks like it has never been hammered. I would say that it is a keeper pin maybe for a windlass or other movable device. the casting is smooth so I would say that it's newer late 18'/early19s. The material looks red brass, I don't think they had yellow brass back then. As for what type ship,, pick one, they all used that type. Tony

 

[vhs07]

Treasurehuntress, take a look at this thread from a few years back.
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/today-s-finds/189648-old-brass-ship-spike.html

 

[TreasureHuntress2010]

vhs07. Wow that looks exact. The first one looks the same. I wonder if it is from a galleon. and the only thing i can't figure out is why there seems to be pieces of something shiny in it. Could it be gold? little flecs of it? or is that just the brass?

 

[BosnMate]

It's a brass square nail and dates back to the days of sail, wooden ships and iron men. Neat find. The shiny specks are brass, where the patina has been rubbed off.

 

[BosnMate]

Oh yeah, Welcome aboard TNet.

 

[CASPER-2]

you'll get more informed answers on the shipwreck forum - guys that find those for a living there

 

[TreasureHuntress2010]

thanks Bosnmate! this is my first find. hoping that I have some other neat finds as cool as this one. I'm fascinated with treasure hunting

 

[TreasureHuntress2010]

BosnMate do you think it has any value?