please help me date my finds

[relic lover]

My winter research has led me to a site that I think is the foundation of a one room school built between 1820 and 1830 the area is wilderness now. It shows up on an 1867 plat map and is gone on a 1906 map. two hours of detecting did not produce a single non ferrous target. Here are some examples of nails from the site. If they are hand wrought as I suspect it would help confirm the age of the foundation. They were very heavily encrusted to say the least, I included a piece of the crust so you can see. my question is are these hand wrought and not later machine cut square nails.

 

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[Montana Jim]

I dig hundreds of nails from 1860s and on... The examples you have look just those I find. That means nuthin' though unless you have the same soil conditions (PA is NOT like MT). So it's kinda hard to tell. I think if your maps had the structure, and nothing else was ever there - then you have the spot.

There are a lot of Pennsylvainians on here who can prolly speak to it a little better... but I think you have your school nails. Probebly hit the ground sometime after 1867.

Nice research job!

 

[relic lover]

I dig hundreds of nails from 1860s and on... The examples you have look just those I find. That means nuthin' though unless you have the same soil conditions (PA is NOT like MT). So it's kinda hard to tell. I think if your maps had the structure, and nothing else was ever there - then you have the spot.

There are a lot of Pennsylvainians on here who can prolly speak to it a little better... but I think you have your school nails. Probebly hit the ground sometime after 1867.

Nice research job!

Thanks M.J., most of the square nails I get are 1/3 less encrusted than these I had to crack them open like a walnut. there are no other structures shown on any map I can find anywhere near this location but it seems 200 yards off the plat map. I don't know if the road has moved or the map is off a bit.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I know just enough about nails to know which end you hit. It does appear the one with the glob in the second image has the linear grain structure of forged iron.

 

[Nail Digger]

Hand wrought nails taper on all four sides. Cut nails taper only on two opposing sides, the sides that were sheared. They are not tapered on the sides that were originally the faces of the flat plate they were cut from. Cut nails will also have striations on the tapered sides, marks from the shear blade. Yours may be too rusted to see these, however.

 

[Montana Jim]

Hand wrought nails taper on all four sides. Cut nails taper only on two opposing sides, the sides that were sheared. They are not tapered on the sides that were originally the faces of the flat plate they were cut from. Cut nails will also have striations on the tapered sides, marks from the shear blade. Yours may be too rusted to see these, however.

8) Cool...

 

[relic lover]

Thanks for the info folks. I cant wait to go back but I cant say when I get married in 3 weeks lots to do! Who am I kiddin thats 3 more trips right? I am sure she wont get mad

 

[N.J.THer]

Your dime is from around 1946....I could not resist...Sorry. Good luck on dating the other finds.

NJ

 

[trikikiwi]

Hi relic lover, sounds like you've found a real treasure, as I did, 34 years ago. Best Wishes on your Wedding Day!
Cheers, Mike