TRASH, TRASH, GOLD?? 5/9/05

[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

Hi all, went out in my Old School House yard. I found some metallic coal in coin mode and then some Solder or silver ore I think solder. I then found a real big steel plate in cache mode. OK now for the good part, my dad has this what we think is a Geode for at least 20 years. When I was a kid I tried breaking it with a hammer and hardly chipped it. I decided to scan it with my detector and to my suprise it sets it off. Could gold be inside, what do you think? What kind of metal got mixed up in this rock, usually holding crystal?

 

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[DJ_Quinn]

Gold can be found within quartz, but my guess here would be iron.

 

[omnicognic]

A while back I posted a reply about a find that resembled a cannonball. We found some large steel balls (golf ball up to grapefruitsize) along with those were these ceramic balls with steel cores. The balls steel and ceramic both were used to clean out concrete trucks. Your "geode" looks remarkably similar to the ceramic ones. I'm not saying that it isn't a geode, just that it's possible it could be one of these ceramic balls (they are steel cored, so would explain the metal signal) Great finds nontheless! HH omnicognic 8)

P.S I'll try to dig some out and post some pics!

 

[Getty]

steel plate looks like a stabilizer pad for a backhoe

 

[slow sweeper]

I'm not 100% sure but all the geodes I have seen, and I've seen quite a few, have not been that smooth on the outside.

 

[twister]

Great finds MUD keep it up. H

Twister

 

[allen]

bust that thing open and find out. keep on digging !!!

 

[Joe (Memphis)]

I would have to agree with Slow.... but bust it anyway!!

 

[AmericanCoinHunting]

I can identify with the stuff from your first pic....With people burning thier trash until the 60's or so...We detectorists have to put up with alot of melted JUNK.......Copper,alum,Lead,ect......Alot of 'Hot Rocks' too...H.H.

 

[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

Thank you all for your replies. I hope its gold inside, we are going to get it cut open at Cornell University. We are almost certain its a Geode, my dad knows his rocks. They come smoother than the one we have. Could be a fake, but not likely. It is definitely made of stone, but looks like it has a mold line. Only way to find out is to get it cut, so we are. It is definitely not a ceramic ball with a steel core or any type of cannon ball. The outside is stone 100% positive.

I hate the hot rocks (metallic coal) they make me upset they are like PT's. Our yard is filled with them cause of coal heat sources used here. The solder won't melt with a lighter so could be silver ore. HAHAHAH yea right i wish. The steel plate is just from construction, that happend here 2 years ago.

Thanks again for your replies. HH!!

 

[JARMAN]

Look forward to the results MUD,be sure to update us.HH

 

[coinshooter]

I wouldn't cut it, because if it is something of value you will cut right through the middle of it with a diamond saw (rock saws use diamond blades). What you have here is a concretion. In non-geology terms you have something in this that is metallic that was rolled around in the mud. The mud formed a mud ball around it known as a concretion. They are common in the deserts of Southern CA and other desert areas.
One thing you might try to see if it is valuable or not is use a detector on it like a minelab sovereign that has "Iron masking". If you run the coil over it in the "discrim" mode it will go silent or "null" out if it is iron. Anything else should sound out loud and clear. Then flip the switch to "all metal" mode and if it sounds off loadly it is a piece of iron. The other possibility is that you have a "Pyrite" geode. These are common in areas like Indiana. The inside could be full of Pyrite. Have someone do an x-ray on it.

 

[buckmild1]

If you hold it in your hand and tap it with a hammer does it sound hollow. If it does it is probably a geode. Keep us posted. HH.

CHRIS