4 inch Copper Nail???

[aleman]

Hello Guys,
Two days ago I was hunting with my buddy, and he found that 4 inch Copper Nail. Now I had never seen a copper Nail before. Could it be that it was used in wooden boats instead of using iron nails that would rust? aleman

[Peg Leg]

I would say YES it was used in a wooden SHIP.
I have a few Iron nails and a few SILVER nails and 1 copper nail but none of them are as fine as yours.
Peg Leg

[stevemc]

It most likely is bronze, they did make small nails out of copper, but it is very soft. Most spikes like that were bronze. Polish it up and if its gold colored it is bronze, if copper colored, then of course copper. Iron nails would rust away very quickly. English ships had a broadhead stamped in every metal part, so if it had that then its English. Nice find!

[pcolaboy]

I second the bronze nail theory but it's still a great find indeed. I have several that are actually 6" in length but nearly the same diameter head.

Pcolaboy

[Peg Leg]

Would it hurt to polish the silver nails or leave them as is?
Peg Leg

[Peg Leg]

I posted the other day about a friend that I am actually Grub Staking. He is really interested in Treasure Hunting but could not afford a MD so I bought one for him to get started,
ANYWAY
He recovered a few silver nails. Three were still in the wood so he broke the wood apart and took the nails out. He brought them to me to look at.
They were SILVER. Of course they were not used to hold anything together. I believe they were silver that was being smuggled back to Spain. The best are three in good condition considering they have been in the ocean for a few hundred years. I have cleaned them up so anyone can tell the are silver. The three best ones weigh 116 grams together. The silver content runs from .800 to .925.
I told him to NEVER take anything apart until I get a chance to look at it. Hell he is just leaning. He is my legs MD the beach.
NO photos yet until a buy a new camera then I will post a few.
Peg Leg

[aleman]

The other day I went to the same spot where my buddy found the brass nail, and found myself a Iron one! Looks like there is something out there............
aleman

[Peg Leg]

The iron nail is about the same size as the silver ones but in better shape than the iron nail.
Peg Leg

[CaribbeanDiver]

Get that iron nail in Salt Away and keep it there until you can do preservation!

[Peg Leg]

I will ask again.
WOULD IT BE ACCEPTABLE TO CLEAN THE SILVER NAILS OR LET THEM BE.
pEG lEG

[mad4wrecks]

Electrolytic Reduction, Pegleg. A small silver nail should only take a few days or a week at the most. If you don't have an electrolytic bath set up or aren't familiar with the process, there are many references on this website, or Google it.

If you just let it go, those salt chlorides will slowly keep expanding and your nails will be reduced to nothing (silver sulphide?)

[Peg Leg]

Thanks
Peg leg

[SEAHUNTER]

Peg leg
Do you have a picture of those silver nails. I would really like to see them. What a great way to smuggle.
Seahunter

[keegah]

Aleman,here are pictures of spike. shank is round thanks,keegah

[wreckvalle]

Looks like a brass or bronze pike to me. We find them all the time on 1800's vintage wood wrecks. The square ones are used to hold decks or planking. Larger round ones are for the ribs.

Safe Diving
Capt. Dan
www.aquaexplorers.com

[keegah]

what is iron grubby? (sorry for the newbie ignorance)

[keegah]

sorry, grubby. i'm so new @this i thought you meant it was "iron grubby" lol. are square headed spikes of a certain time period. i'm a carpenter and the only square headed nails i've seen are cut nails(concrete nails). thanks,keegah