Unknown objects

[BIG61AL]

I have found lots of old metal and know how metal should look that has been wet for a long time. These two look like nothing I have dug up before. The curved one is 17 grams, metallic and non magnetic. The triangular one is 13 grams, metallic and also non magnetic. They appear to be of the same material. Recovered in wet sand with seasonal submergement of fresh water. Not a speck of corrosion or pitting. The surfaces are very flat with acute edge angles. My first thought that they were meteorite fragments but not being magnetic precludes that answer. Any guesses?

 

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[mr_larry]

Re: Unknow objects

Could it be zinc?

 

[BIG61AL]

Re: Unknow objects

Possible. What is made of solid zinc? Does zinc cleave like stone, straight and flat. Would zinc have a metallic taste like copper if I put my tongue on it. I just did a scratch test. A exacto blade tip easily scratched the metal to reveal bright silver metal. Let me fiddle with one picture I think I see something. I'll be right back.

 

[vayank54]

Re: Unknow objects

if it's soft it could be lead. I've dug civil war bullets in swampy areas that came out gray or shiney. Some looked like they were madde yesterday

 

[mr_larry]

Re: Unknow objects

if it's soft it could be lead. I've dug civil war bullets in swampy areas that came out gray or shiney. Some looked like they were madde yesterday

It sounds too light to be lead. 13 grams is less than half an ounce. I know the size of a one ounce fishing weight, and if it were lead it should be a lot heavier.

Pure zinc can be used as sacrificial anodes on boat hulls. In saltwater they tend turn a lighter gray and lose their shine. I'm not sure if that is true of freshwater or not.

 

[BIG61AL]

Re: Unknow objects

hope this picture comes out ok ... does this looks like reeding? Could it be a melted coin? That could explainn the flat surace. Lead melts at621.43 °F and silver melts 1763.2 °F , let me put a torch to it. If it's lead the sharp points should melt quickly and get rounded in shape

 

[BttleDiggerDrew]

Re: Unknow objects

Its lead for sure

 

[BIG61AL]

Re: Unknow objects

melted like a piece of cheese within seconds of contact with a propane torch. two large globs of bright silver metal, its cooling right now. will post a new picture soon.

 

[Noodle]

Re: Unknow objects

Lead supplies for military? Civil War? Revolutionary War? Are you in an area this could be?

 

[BIG61AL]

Re: Unknow objects

melt test ...... low meltage temperture.....melting was almost immediate lead or lead alloy

 

[LandStar]

Re: Unknow objects

Looks like someone melted daddy's pipe solder into one big pile....

HH,

 

[eaglewings35]

I know exactly what this is. It is slag from a smelter.
If I'm correct, when you hit it with a hammer, it shatters (and sounds like) breaking glass?
I have 20lbs of the stuff here in my living room in a box.
It came out of an old smelter found in the woods.
There is a very good chance that it may contain gold or other PM's.

 

[BIG61AL]

Smelter....well the next question should be - smelting for what metal? Lets discuss this further. If this was a homemade smelter then your casts would tend be also home made using what materials on hand. I'd just try a hunk of wood. Carve a shallow semi circle and put a groove on each end to let the molten flow to the next carved semi circle. Because that what the other object looks like to me. I think this a casting that was dropped. Now back to my original question - what metal? Silver? Or more lead for sinkers?

 

[montepollock]

pure Silver,lead,and tin all melt at extremely low temperature,
and lead sheet was often used to patch boats.
Tin was also used in bearings(Babbit metal)
the dross from this looks like lead.
Keep us posted I,ve sometimes found masses of molten silver from house fires.
Happy Hunting,Mont

 

[eaglewings35]

The smelter I found was near an abandoned gold mine.
The smelter pot was what looked to be baked clay.
The slag does melt easy and has trace gold in it. It looks exactly like
the picture. I'm not positive but it looks to be the same.

 

[mankind]

Monel ??

 

[LandStar]

If you look in the left upper half of the melted stuff you did, I can swear I see a spec of gold color...

HH,