Old flat metal

[john glassman]

I found this decting this week.The metal looks like hand hammered and nice pintinaon it.The length is 2/14/16 wide it 14 /16. It looks like a fancy 2 on the front!

 

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[kcm]

I don't understand your measurements. Also, I don't see the "2" that you were referring to.

How hard is it? Can you poke a dimple in the end with a knife? Is it magnetic?

You say this is flat - can you show us an edge view please?

 

[john glassman]

I don't understand your measurements. Also, I don't see the "2" that you were referring to.

How hard is it? Can you poke a dimple in the end with a knife? Is it magnetic?

You say this is flat - can you show us an edge view please?

Heres the side edges and some differant pics and I was give size to the object the metal is not magnetic at all !

 

[kcm]

I'll go with my original gut feeling on this - I think it's lead.

As for being hammered, that may well be. Lead was used for TONS of things back in the old days, as it was easy to work. It could even be an old lead sinker that has been flattened, which might be a possible explanation for the #2, thought I still haven't seen it yet. The pics are a little fuzzy full size.

Ok, final test. If you can bend it with your fingers fairly easily, it's almost certainly lead. Thanks for the extra pics.

 

[john glassman]

I'll go with my original gut feeling on this - I think it's lead.

As for being hammered, that may well be. Lead was used for TONS of things back in the old days, as it was easy to work. It could even be an old lead sinker that has been flattened, which might be a possible explanation for the #2, thought I still haven't seen it yet. The pics are a little fuzzy full size.

Ok, final test. If you can bend it with your fingers fairly easily, it's almost certainly lead. Thanks for the extra pics.

No give on the bend test

 

[kcm]

Well, I give. There's only two things hadn't done yet. Checking for hardness and to see what color the metal is after a scrape test. Still, that won't tell us "what" it is. Doesn't seem anybody else has much of an idea either.

 

[Indian Steve]

Is one of the ends beveled like a chisel? I'm thinking a hand
plane blade or hand chisel.

 

[kcm]

Looks pretty rudimentary for that, but I guess stranger things have happened. It could be some sort of shim, or even a piece of scrap metal - maybe even something left over after an accident of some sort. I dunno - I'm out of ideas. Even if it had been lead, what could it have been to/for? If there is a "2" on it, would like to get a better image. Maybe someone else would have an idea. I just can't see a "2" anywhere. ...But then I'm working on 1 remaining active brain cell, too!