Who can guess what this is?

[Bayou Joe]

I was down right next to a mid 1800's to early 1900's mill site when I seen part of the road dug up. Of course I had to swing on it. Managed to coins, a stinkin Lincoln and a wheat 1944. And sticking out of the pile was this object that caught my eye. My machine never made a sound as I passed over it. Its a metal object for sure and to my kinda resembles a horse head fence post decoration with years of wear. A friend says its a drill bit. I have no idea and hoping some one will know if its trash or treasure.
The area to the left of dirt pile was the old mill site. And in second picture you can see what appears to be an eye sticking out.

 

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[clovis97]

I'd say it is a barrel tap or bung.

Would have fit in the top of the barrel, and the user would have had to tip the barrel to pour its contents. The gizmo you found would have allowed the user to control the pour of the liquid out of the barrel.

 

[Panache]

Looks like the spout off a hand well pump the hook allows a bucket to be hung while the person pumps to fill the bucket. http://www.bombayharbor.com/product...s/Hand_Press_Water_Well_Pump_Pitcher_Pump.gif

 

[AU Seeker]

If this object is metal and it looks to be rusty, which would mean that it would have to be made of iron to be rusty, but not being detect by your metal detector is puzzling, is it magnetic?

 

[trikikiwi]

It strikes me it could be a fulgurite.

Fulgurite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mike

 

[Nickleanddime]

I'm agreeing with a barrel tap.

 

[trikikiwi]

I'm agreeing with a barrel tap.

If it's a barrel tap, what is it made of? It doesn't register on a metal detector and it doesn't look wooden.

To me , it looks like vitrified earth/soil/clay.
Mike

 

[creskol]

I think it is an irontstone/ore concretion or nodule. Probably was filled with silica sand at one time.

 

[Nickleanddime]

With our holding it ill never k ow how it feels. But if it is a tap and was made out of old old cast iron then it problay wouldn't pick up on a detector. Since most or all of the iron would be just rust. I've seen material like that in turn of the century farms and in old dump piles over the years especially at this old spring we have just down the road. The cast will sorta petrify from the minerals In the water or soil and turn to that.

. It's to formed to be natural, stuff natural wouldn't taper and bend like that let alone have a bucket hook on it. You can also see the step down on the outside where the sizes change. So it's either a very rusted piece of very old cast, or a " petrified piece of pot metal/cast iron. And I use that petrified term loosely because I'm not sure of the proper term.

 

[creskol]

With our holding it ill never k ow how it feels. But if it is a tap and was made out of old old cast iron then it problay wouldn't pick up on a detector. Since most or all of the iron would be just rust. I've seen material like that in turn of the century farms and in old dump piles over the years especially at this old spring we have just down the road. The cast will sorta petrify from the minerals In the water or soil and turn to that.

. It's to formed to be natural, stuff natural wouldn't taper and bend like that let alone have a bucket hook on it. You can also see the step down on the outside where the sizes change. So it's either a very rusted piece of very old cast, or a " petrified piece of pot metal/cast iron. And I use that petrified term loosely because I'm not sure of the proper term.

Actually, natural formations can be very "real" looking . I have concretion pods on my ranch in Texas that are quite suggestive of all sorts of things.

Also, with regards to cast iron or iron in general, I have hit on rust colored piles of dust that still give off signals.

 

[adalabama]

An outside water spicket thingy.

 

[Nickleanddime]

Next time by the spring ill take a picture of the pipes and metal laying around. It might be a while I don't get down there to often. To many ticks and snakes.

 

[cudamark]

Maybe a water nozzle for a ceramic fountain,

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

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[Cycluran]

This is a concretion. 'Could've been a root at one time, but that's gone. Water probably flowed through this regularly. I find alot like this on the banks of the Mississippi. The fact that your machine didn't sound off cinches it.

 

[creskol]

This is a concretion. 'Could've been a root at one time, but that's gone. Water probably flowed through this regularly. I find alot like this on the banks of the Mississippi. The fact that your machine didn't sound off cinches it.

Yup .. my thoughts exactly!

 

[yelnif]

I'm with Panache on this one- hand operated water pump spout with bucket hook. Back in the day- they were often found at the end of a watering trough, also they would be found in the kitchen. By the size of your spout, and the presence of the bucket hook, I would guess that it was from a trough which would fit with the mill being there. Horses were often used in the timber industry and would have needed watering. jmho

 

[Bayou Joe]

Thanks guys, After all the ideas, I'm leaning towards a tap or pump thing since it is metal, I think cast iron as weight to it. I had my machine in Pro Coin mode, maybe why no sound. Thanks again for the help and ideas.

 

[lookindown]

Hand pump spout.

 

[creskol]

Is it magnetic?