"Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches???

[godisnum1]

"Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

Alright, I know I've said it before... but I need to know what this "mysterious metal" (what I'm calling it) is that I keep finding on most of the beaches I've hunted here in Saint Petersburg, Florida!!
The beaches I've found it on is Treasure Island Beach, Madeira Beach, North Beach at Fort DeSoto, and (primarily) St Pete Beach.

No one seems to know what this stuff is, or where it might be coming from... so I need some help to identify it!
To me, it appears to just be some iron or something... but I'm confident it's not iron. I've dug plenty of iron to know it's not that. On my detector (White's IDX Pro), it shows up as $1, 50 cents, or Silver (the very far right of my display)... no matter if the piece is as small as a dime, or the size of a dollar piece or larger. I'm pretty sure it's not silver, as I stuck some of my neo-magnets to a few pieces. They do seem to show a very small trace of rust color, though not all do. They also have an almost "ring" tone to them when hit together. Not quite the sound silver makes when hit together, but they still have a slight high tone when struck together rather than a dull one. If you can't tell already, I'm quite frustrated with this "mysterious" stuff. I might also try posting this in the Florida and Beach Detecting sections, just to see if anyone else knows about this stuff. And yes, I have tried looking it up on the net, but have been unsuccessful in finding anything about this stuff washing ashore.

Thanks for ANY help anyone can offer my curiosity!!!

Bran <><

 

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[Moe (fl)]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

There are lots of this stuff on East Florida beaches. Definitely iron bits. One guy told me long time ago they were iron bits from the hull of ships.

If it is magnetic is iron related. Silver is non-magnetic.

HH!

 

[relic lover]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

Looks like the final stages of an older iron ship or some kind of slag or ore could have been ballast.

 

[godisnum1]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

Thanks for the ideas. I guess I'm starting to lean more towards a wreck somewhere in the vicinity...
Still throws me how iron won't register on my detector as iron, when it's normally always spot-on.

Bran <><

 

[DrGrip]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

Is it possibly slag from an old smelting operation? The slag would have a LOT of the non-iron items within it and this could be why it's NOT rusting like it should and also why it would show up in the ring area since it's an alloy of sorts.

Grip

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

I got buckets full of this stuff soaking in water from the Treasure Coast. Its old unidentifiable iron from shipwrecks and it will start rusting and splitting apart as it drys out unless you give it electrolysis. But its worthless unless you find a cannonball or something.

I dont know why it wont show ferrous. I can tune it out on my Ace 250.

 

[ivan salis]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

a old iron hulled ship if it burns during it wreck sometimes converts the elements in the iron of the ships hull if it gets hot enough (driving out the elements that cause rust in the process making it purer like "wrought iron" thus less likely to rust )---depending upon if its close enought to the fire or not ---- the iron hull metal might or might not rust as it "breaksdown" flaking away chip by chip --bit by bit --in the ocean

rusty items can ring up as "high" end silver at times

 

[72cheyenne]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

I have had iron chunks ring up as silver several times in the past, especially when using White's machines. I actually starting call the mysterious iron chunks "White's Silver Dollars". Although just this weekend I had my Etrac do the same exact same thing. Tell me silver and I dig up a rusty shovel head, go figure.

 

[Dirty Knees McGee]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

It is definitely not slag. I've worked many years casting metal, bronze and iron in particular. Iron slag will look more like chunks of lava rock as it will trap air pockets. Your picts don't show evidence of that, so it is more likely from some other object like a hull or ? Keep diggin!

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

steel

 

[godisnum1]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

I might see if I can find a person to analyze a few pieces of the metal to resolve the speculations...
Personally, the only suggestions that have made plausible sense to me is the hull of a shipwreck or other similar iron items... OR, possibly pieces coming off of a sand pipe that brings the sand in from off-shore to fill the beaches in.

Everything else seems too speculative, IMHO.

Bran <><

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

They look exactly like what I find on the Treasure Coast. If I think about it tommorrow, Ill look in my water buckets to see if I saved any to take a picture for ya. When I first started finding them, I was hoping they were cobs. But they are just ferrous steel or iron from shipwrecks or pipes and they flake off in layers. They look EXACTLY what you got. And they ARE rusting. I can see the rust. That is why they are in small pieces. You want to see more rust? ...just let them dry out.

 

[godisnum1]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

Yeah, not all of them have rust on them. The ones that do, don't have heavy amounts of rust or anything... just a slight rust color. Some seem to be very preserved pieces of iron. I've left several out in the sun, and a good amount were found on top of the sand in the sun... and they haven't rusted yet. Whatever it is, I do believe it's old. How old? I'm not sure.

Bran <><

 

[ivan salis]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

I'm willing to bet dollars to doughnuts all day long that its -- old iron shipwreck hull iron flakings from a vessel that burned --- do I have any takers ? (easy pickings) cuz I without a doubt know exactly what they are. when old iron hulled ships caught fire and burned --the intense heat of the fire often caused changes in the iron hull metal due to the heat --some pieces are more rusty --those away from the fire area --other pieces not as rusty --those closer to the heat . -- come on folks ---I like doughnuts !!!

 

[godisnum1]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

I'd subscribe to that... aside from sand piping off-shore, it's the only logical explanation (to me). I had a few random people on the beaches ask me what I thought it was, and I had to say that I thought it was coming from a shipwreck off-shore. I just didn't know how old or which one. Still don't I suppose, but I'd stick with the shipwreck theory unless proven otherwise with verifiable evidence. I'm tellin' you, my curiosity gets the best of me so much....

And again Ivan, that theory only seems logical. I appreciate you chiming in with it as well!
So are you looking for any particular kind... like say Krispy Kreme?

Bran <><

 

[ivan salis]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

in this case your first guess was correct --- a old metal hulled wreck offshore -who's iron hull is breaking down --flaking away slowly bit by bit and chip by chip the wave action is slowly washing it ashore. --now for you --- its just a matter of finding out who it was & when it sank and the cargo carried ( to see if there is any chance it had worth while items onboard )--- iron hulled vessels are at the latest civil war era --say 1860 to present so it has to be a fairly "new" at 150 years old max.

 

[godisnum1]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

Looks as if I've finally got a good reason to hit up the library here...
I suppose there IS an upside to it raining all week and the library having free Wi-Fi!
My laptop and I might have to go over and see what we can dig up!!
Thanks again Ivan!

Bran <><

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

Yeah, not all of them have rust on them. The ones that do, don't have heavy amounts of rust or anything... just a slight rust color. Some seem to be very preserved pieces of iron. I've left several out in the sun, and a good amount were found on top of the sand in the sun... and they haven't rusted yet. Whatever it is, I do believe it's old. How old? I'm not sure.

Bran <><

I believe mine all rusted out but it took a couple months at least to really dry out and flake apart. I think I have some soaking in fresh water which is what you have to do to get the salts out. None of the pieces that I found turned out to be anything. No writing or anything recognizable and I save everything from those Treasure Beaches.

They dont have rust on them because the iron all around has rusted to nothing. Keep in mind that what you have is the remaining steel from large heavy sheets. Wave action will clean up a piece of metal. Did you ever notice that pennies found in the surf are shiny copper with no corrosion?

 

[godisnum1]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

Yeah, not all of them have rust on them. The ones that do, don't have heavy amounts of rust or anything... just a slight rust color. Some seem to be very preserved pieces of iron. I've left several out in the sun, and a good amount were found on top of the sand in the sun... and they haven't rusted yet. Whatever it is, I do believe it's old. How old? I'm not sure.

Bran <><

I believe mine all rusted out but it took a couple months at least to really dry out and flake apart. I think I have some soaking in fresh water which is what you have to do to get the salts out. None of the pieces that I found turned out to be anything. No writing or anything recognizable and I save everything from those Treasure Beaches.

I've had the largest portion of my finds since March and they still look the same as the day I found them, albeit a little more dried out. The pieces can keep their salt for all I care. I know it's not anything of value (historical or otherwise), but I'll still continue to find and keep the stuff... and hopefully be able to get to the bottom of the origin of this stuff.

Bran <><

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: "Mysterious Metal" washing up on Gulf Coast Beaches

They dont have rust on them because the iron all around has rusted to nothing. Keep in mind that what you have is the remaining small pieces of steel from large heavy sheets. Wave action will clean up a piece of metal. Did you ever notice that pennies found in the surf are shiny copper with no corrosion?

It may take longer than 2 months but mine have flaked apart in layers. I can see yours already coming apart in the last few pics. I think if I take a few pics of mine it will help convince you. I soak everything because I know its 1715 shipwreck. But you are correct, its worthless.