Silver Ingot?

[Charles (Sabre)(Tx)]

I purchased this item from a pawn shop about 5-6 years ago. The owner of the shop told me he thought it was solid silver. The story goes that it was found under and old church that was torn down many years ago. I can't substantiate any of this but I thought maybe someone has seen something like it before.

Here's some info on it:

Weight... 330.78 grams.
Diameter... 2.25 inches
Thickness... 0.5 inch

It looks like it may have been melted down silver that was poured in a drum bung hole to me. It has what looks like threads on its side. The interesting note is 3 crosses stamped in the top. Could this be something of historic value?

I don't know the metal content for sure but I'm certain that maybe since I have the weight and the size I could calculate what a silver round this size should weigh. Anyone seen anything like this before? Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks...Charles (Sabre)(Tx)

 

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[Montana Jim]

Um, it sure looks like silver... but nobody here can tell you for sure without having it checked.  

Thats a nice piece...

If it's at least .925 at 330.78 grams, the value is $178.17 (USD) as of the time of this posting. (calculated at 18.11 USD/Trou Ozs) (330.78 grams = 10.636 Troy Ozs)

 

[MT]

My guess...Old Spanish Silver Ingot.
Nice.
HH,
MT
Tom

 

[NGE]

Must have been some really good Hootch to seal it with silver.

 

[curbdiggercarl57]

Definitely get it tested, and start posting closeups to various sites. You might want to try and contact Mel Fisher's estate, they might recognize the symbols. Great find!
Carl

 

[Fast_Dave]

I love story problems! Ok, the measurements given would translate to metric values as diameter of 6.35 cm by 1.27 cm thick. To figure the area of the circle, we use the formula of Pi times radius squared or 3.146 x 3.175 x 3.175 or 31.71 cm^2. Multiply by the thickness to get the volume, 31.71 x 1.27 or 40.27 cubic centimeters. The density of silver is 10.5 gr/cm^3. If the ingot was solid silver it should weigh 422.84 grams. Since your weight is only 3/4 of that, it's safe to say it's probably not solid silver. A small deviation could be attributed to uneven surfaces or slight inaccuracies in measurement, but not 25%. The density of your ingot figures out as 8.21 gr/cm^3.
Now lets make it interesting. Morgan dollars have a diameter of 3.8 cm and a stack of 4 has a thickness of 1.2 cm. Total weight is 26.73 x 4 or 106.92 gr. Using the same formula, the volume of the Morgan dollars is 13.628 cm^3, giving a density of 7.85 gr/cm^3. Given the uneveness of your ingot, that's probably an allowable deviation from 8.21 gr/cm^3. So your ingot could be coin quality silver.
And before anyone asks, lead has an even higher density of 11.34 gr/cm^3. If the ingot were made of lead, it would weigh around 456.66 gr.

 

[eathabs]

I love story problems! Ok, the measurements given would translate to metric values as diameter of 6.35 cm by 1.27 cm thick. To figure the area of the circle, we use the formula of Pi times radius squared or 3.146 x 3.175 x 3.175 or 31.71 cm^2. Multiply by the thickness to get the volume, 31.71 x 1.27 or 40.27 cubic centimeters. The density of silver is 10.5 gr/cm^3. If the ingot was solid silver it should weigh 422.84 grams. Since your weight is only 3/4 of that, it's safe to say it's probably not solid silver. A small deviation could be attributed to uneven surfaces or slight inaccuracies in measurement, but not 25%. The density of your ingot figures out as 8.21 gr/cm^3.
Now lets make it interesting. Morgan dollars have a diameter of 3.8 cm and a stack of 4 has a thickness of 1.2 cm. Total weight is 26.73 x 4 or 106.92 gr. Using the same formula, the volume of the Morgan dollars is 13.628 cm^3, giving a density of 7.85 gr/cm^3. Given the uneveness of your ingot, that's probably an allowable deviation from 8.21 gr/cm^3. So your ingot could be coin quality silver.
And before anyone asks, lead has an even higher density of 11.34 gr/cm^3. If the ingot were made of lead, it would weigh around 456.66 gr.

Dang Dave, my eyes are bleeding and my brain feels scrambled. Great calculations none the less.

Hal

Oh yeah, sweet find Charles!!

 

[Michellets]

It looks like the molten metal was poured into the inside of a mason jar lid. Have you tried to screw a mason jar lid on it? HH M

 

[tymcmurray]

Nice piece of something. Have you tested it yet?
My local pawn shop tests objects for me.

 

[Mackaydon]

"Elementary, my dear Watson". Or was it, "Simple deduction, my dear Watson".
Whatever Sherlock Holmes said seems to apply here.
Charles, great artifact (whatever it is).
Fast Dave: Nice piece of deductive reasoning (or was that inductive?).
Don.....

 

[Kansasippi]

The reason it looks like it was poured into a mason jar lid is due to during smelting they would have had several crucibles to pour at one time in the oven or furnace.
So what you see are layers formed from each molten 'button' poured out of the crucible, this would have been the method used the Spanish. My guess would be Spanish monasteries

 

[bradyboy]

very very cool piece -
looking forward to see where this goes
Brady

 

[Charles (Sabre)(Tx)]

More picsf round ingot

BTW...as I followed the rings around the edge it does look like they progressed up a step to the top. Maybe it was poured into a Ball Mason jar lid?

 

[Lt1stone]

Threads look to fine for mason jar, and it looks like it has a slite taper to it like it was poured into a threaded pipe cap.

 

[Fast_Dave]

And, if I remember my Mason jar lids correctly, either the top or bottom would have to be concave rather than convex(if the glass insert was still in place) Also, mason lids are 2 3/4 inches in diameter and the ingot is only 2 1/4.

 

[Kansasippi]

Mason lids are made of zinc, silver melts at temp that would cause the zinc to migrate or stain. It would be possible to pour into a cast iron pipe if the pipe was hot and had some flux in it to prevent splatter.

But most of those ingots were cast in very fine sand.

 

[jimb]

Wow! that is a fantastic find! Looks like church treasure to me!

 

[savant365]

Is it just me or does it look like a face on this picture? Could someone have tried to melt some coins together?

 

[mrjosh]

Where was this church located?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Mason lids are made of zinc, silver melts at temp that would cause the zinc to migrate or stain. It would be possible to pour into a cast iron pipe if the pipe was hot and had some flux in it to prevent splatter.

But most of those ingots were cast in very fine sand.

It looks like it could be a cast iron pipe thread. Pipe threads will taper and come in standard sizes.