No White Patina...Why

[Eric Shawnee KS]

Just curious as to why a civil war bullet would NOT have a white patina, as I have seen a few advertised as such?

 

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[Burdie]

All lead will not turn white if found in water or salt water. It is the oxidation in soil that turns them white.

Burdie

 

[MarkDz]

All lead will not turn white if found in water or salt water. It is the oxidation in soil that turns them white.

Burdie

Very true. Some shipwreck bullets have almost no patina at all... they may be hundreds of years old but look like they were made six months ago.
Also, depending on conditions, lead patina may be white, gray, brown, green, reddish, or other colors.

 

[Eric Shawnee KS]

Thanks to both of you, I will have to determan the place they where found.

 

[bearbqd]

There are exceptions to the water as well. The battle site I am currently hunting in the woods has never produced a typical white patina lead. The woods are right beside a river and some of the finds are way above any floodline that could happen. Not sure why they are more different here than anywhere else I've detected.