Old wooden ship nails?

[foverbey]

I found these (pic attached) embedded in a piece of wood about 2 feet long in the surf on the Point at Cape Hatteras NC several years ago. They are made of brass and the tops were sticking out of the wood about 1/2 inch. I think they are some kind of fasteners/nails from an old wooden ship. Purpose? Age? What say you? Thanks, Frank.

 

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[FreeBirdTim]

No green patina on them, so they're not old. Unless you cleaned them before you took the photo. They look more like a nail punch to me.

 

[foverbey]

The top 1/2" to 1" (large end) was exposed and washing in the surf, hence the shiney appearance. You can see the line where that end was exposed and the bottom 3" was in the wood. The bottom 3" were embedded in the piece of wood, hence no green patina. I cut them out of the wood.

 

[unclemac]

they should have a head should they not?

 

[kuon john]

Hi, I have found brass spike's like this as well protruding from wash up white oak wood pieces from scuttle vessels of Cape Cod. We have over 3,000 shipwrecks along the shoals of Cape Cod. I remember the spikes as I found mind looking like gold attachments in wood, they were that shining. The reason for this is because when they made brass they added more tin.