Bronze ship spike???

[Coastie59]

Hello all, I dug this today off the coast of NC in the wet sand while MDing. Looking for some info, what type of ship, the possible age etc...thanks in advance and look forward to all of ur knowledge. Shown with a penny, think it is bronze, looks like brass and is not iron.

 

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[aquanut]

Yes, Bronze. Judging from the bent nature, most likely a shipwreck. Probably 1700's

Aquanut

 

[Leebo in SC]

cool

 

[stevemc]

Yes, it is hard to exactly nail down a date, pun intended, but they used bronze square nails and spikes for a long time. Many countries, centuries, etc, so hard to say when or whose it is. Most definetly a ships spike, they do find them in that area a lot. Keep it, it is a nice keepsake.

 

[Old Bookaroo]

Coastie59:

It's a nice find.

I'm curious how the experts here know this didn't come from a dock or other maritime structure. I'm not trying to be a buzzkill - and a wreck artifact is a lot more fun than a large nail from a dock.

Just askin'...

Good luck to all,

~The Old Bookaroo

 

[stevemc]

True, it could be from some kind of a structure that they used ships spikes to build a dock, could happen, and probably has happened, but usually these were used to build large ships. Plus he was on the NC coast, not many docks out there! Ever! Having seen 100s of these on many different shipwrecks, and no where else, to me, that is the only place that they are used. I have never heard of one being found inland anywhere. Only on the beach near shipwrecks or on shipwrecks.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

G'morning Ladies & guys: side thingie, square nails - iron mostly - are readily avaiible in Mexico and other parts. They are actually far better for nailing since they do not force the fibres of the wood apart as much as the pointed modern ones do and so have better holding power..

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[stevemc]

Yes, square nails usually iron some copper and bronze have been used for a while, and still are. But big spikes, bronze ones, I dont think there are very many used except for ship building.

 

[goldnugget]

Coastie59- I live in Charlotte,N.C. and have only been to the N C Outer banks twice ,usually after a North Easter or Hurricane. This is a picture of my Spike that was found ,I usually detect from Nags Head toward Corolla. I really need a 4 x 4 vechicle to drive North Farther. This spike is a little over 6 1/2 inches-- goldnugget

 

[Mr nibbs]

Here are some spikes/nails I have found on a beach, all within about one foot of each other. I have been told that the reason they are bent and not broken is that they have a special treatment during there manufacturing process if they are to be used in ship building. This process allows them to bend with the timbers and not snap.

 

[Trimbaker]

Hello, I am fairly sure it came from a ship. See how the end is clenched over? When I built my boat, the old Boatbuilder that was teaching me would drive the nail (turbine bronze) from one side, while I held a "bucking iron" on the other side as the nail came through. The bucking iron would cause the nail to bend over and as the Boatbuilder keeps driving the nail, it draws the two boards tighter and tighter. Once the head of the nail is flush with one side, and the tip, is clenched over and flush on the other, it will continue to hold until the wood fails years and years later. Looks like your nail was in place long after the ship sank, and the wood rotted away. If it had been pulled, it would have uncurled. I hope this helps. George.

 

[enrada]

I think the Archies would call this a fish hook!!!

 

[TRG]

I think the Archies would call this a fish hook!!!

If a fish hook then likely one belonging to a certain shipwrecked Mariner wearing only a pair of blue canvas breeches and a pair of suspenders who used it as such when he got tired of trailing his toes in the water, as he was a man of infinite resource and sagacity who knew how to make good use of the materials at hand.

 

[WaveJunky757]

Coastie59- I live in Charlotte,N.C. and have only been to the N C Outer banks twice ,usually after a North Easter or Hurricane. This is a picture of my Spike that was found ,I usually detect from Nags Head toward Corolla. I really need a 4 x 4 vechicle to drive North Farther. This spike is a little over 6 1/2 inches-- goldnugget

We have a house in Corolla in the 4x4 area, amazing place I suggest you check it out if possible. We have several wooden skeleton wrecks that get covered and uncovered. Mid/late 1800s stuff. I’ve heard of some colonial era coins being found, not sure from who or exactly where. There’s a couple videos on YouTube I have not detected there yet (I’m slacking big time). There HAS to be some stuff somewhere on this stretch of beach. And behind the dunes. I’d imagine settlers or wreck survivors. It’s fairly shallow a ways out and sand bottom so I’d imagine a lot of “soft groundings” took place and anything could have been salvaged easily. The beach goes up and down quite a lot with the tides/storms so I’d imagine everything is buried very deep. And of course you can’t detect south past Nags Head because it’s all wildlife, where some good stuff might actually be.