✅ SOLVED Pulled from the Gulf Part IV (old, old, silver)

[Crispin]

Any ideas? These were pulled from my antique hunting spot. Don't know what the copper do-hickey is either. That ring is copper but I thought it looked neat.





Please don't call it a Fire Rock

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[BosnMate]

First picture looks like melted aluminum, if found on an Oregon beach I'd be more specific, melted Bud can. I like the ring, is that darkened silver? Any idea on the stone. Last picture looks like in inclusion in either glass or possibly quartz rock. Just my swag

 

[Crispin]

First picture looks like melted aluminum, if found on an Oregon beach I'd be more specific, melted Bud can. I like the ring, is that darkened silver? Any idea on the stone. Last picture looks like in inclusion in either glass or possibly quartz rock. Just my swag

Empty soda can: Atomic weight of Aluminum 27



Silver Eagle: Atomic weight of silver is 108



Unknown metal: cut pieces off to check for purity, weight is 108 (just a coincidence)



Lead fishing weight: atomic weight of lead is 207



But what do I know?

 

[OWK]

unless you have a specific measure of the volume of each of these items, I'm not sure what you're trying to convey.

 

[Crispin]

unless you have a specific measure of the volume of each of these items, I'm not sure what you're trying to convey.

Fair enough. Obviously there needs to be some margin for error because I don't have a graduated cylinder to do this in.

Silver eagle: I'm calling to call this about 2ml of displacement



Unknown metal: I'm calling this about 3ml of displacement



density = g/ml

weighed objects in grams: eagle 3.7, unknown metal 5.8

5.8/3 = 1.9g/ml

3.7/2 = 1.85g/ml

So clearly this is a rough estimation with a lot of error; however, the point is that using the same rough methods for both they come out very close.

The known density of silver is 10.4 g/ml, the known density of Aluminum is 2.7g/ml. We know the weight is exact, but the volume is rough. So either they are both Aluminum or the are both Silver. Unless antique eagle belt buckles were made out of Aluminum then I am going to go with silver and attribute it to error. Also, they both reduce when placed on Aluminum/baking soda heat bath. I know it is easy to call it a fire nugget but I am digging in a part of the gulf where very old stuff gets dug up.

 

[villagenut]

With all due respect,how old do you think it is?

 

[Crispin]

Put video of metal being reduced in the Beach and Shallow water section. Compared it with a quarter and copper.

 

[Crispin]

No idea...guess 50-70 years based on what I find in the area and known history of it.

 

[Crispin]

hi res pics of ring and stamp on inside

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Hello Crispin. Without reading your weight and test results, the melted blob is most likely aluminum although possible to be solder. Any pawn shop can test for you or you can purchase a silver test solution. I mix my own. Melted aluminum is a very common beach find. Nice old plated copper ring but I cant see the markings. Its a little out of focus. Is it an "M"? Do you have a Macro lens setting on your camera? Its often a tulip or flower. Also outdoor lighting is better.

 

[Crispin]

Hello Crispin. Without reading your weight and test results, the melted bolb is most likely aluminum although possible to be solder. Melted aluminum is a very common beach find. Nice old copper ring but I cant see the markings. Its a little out of focus. Do you have a Macro lens setting on your camera? Its often a tulip or flower. Also outdoor lighting is better.

Okay, it could be solder...definitely not aluminum, still think it is silver...
Click on the second picture in post 9 and you can see the mark on the inside of the ring.

Good call on the solder, I found this page, http://alasir.com/reference/solder_alloys/ , it could easily be an alloy with a small percentage of silver in it, that we make sense of passing the reduction test and the acid test. I'm hitting this one solved.

For the record, I know a melted beer can when I see one.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Its better when I clicked on it it. Is that an "M'? Probably will not be able to identify the ring if M is all that is marked. It was probably gold plated but it wore off.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I see some very similar gold plated rings in my 1909 Sears Roebuck catalog. When I get more time, I will look harder. I dont know anything about the M mark.

 

[Crispin]

I see some very similar gold plated rings in my 1909 Sears Roebuck catalog. When I get more time, I will look harder. I dont know anything about the M mark.

Looks like an M to me. There might be more markings in front of it. I will clean it more and if I find something have the wife bust out the hi-res camera again.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

For the record, I know a melted beer can when I see one.

You may be surprised. Melted blobs of aluminum appear heavy, are a very common beach find and they have been mistaken many times here on TN. Just do a search for silver blobs or nuggets here on TN. Or search google with the search word Treasurenet. Its possible to be silver but highly unlikely. An acid test will tell for sure. I guess they come from beach fires.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Looks like an M to me. There might be more markings in front of it. I will clean it more and if I find something have the wife bust out the hi-res camera again.

My 1909 Sears catalog is full of similar style rings so its probably turn of the century..


Make sure you use the Macro setting.

 

[flyadive]

Try Selsun Blue, I think if you put a drop on silver it will change color. I have never tried it.
Active ingredient: Selenium sulphide

 

[BosnMate]

There are a couple of areas along the Oregon coast, where ATV's camp and ride in the dunes. In the evening they build big fires and sit around the fire drinking beer, and throwing the empties into the fire. The cans melt into nuggets, then the ATV guys blast through the coals, throwing sparks, charcoal and aluminum nuggets everywhere. When attempting to detect the area it's loaded with those blasted nuggets to the point I won't go over there anymore, it's just to large of a pain in the rear. The detector loves them, they sound good and they mask good stuff. They are everywhere, and look just like what you are showing. As far as a weight test, sometimes the cans don't melt in a single blob, sometimes in two or more, others have inclusions in the melt, and I can't see how a weight test proves a thing.

 

[Crispin]

your right, it didn't prove anything. But it made for a good baseline and helped get a rough estimate of the density.

It is definitely solder. That makes perfect sense with all the tests I've run. There is silver in it but who knows what percentage. Check the link I posted and it will give you an idea of all the types of metals that could be in there. That sucks about your hunting spot that would drive anybody crazy. I'm not saying I know exactly what it was othewise I wouldn't have posted it but I know Aluminum and how to identify it.