Jewelry Box hinge with fastening Nail Still Attached

[PetesPockets55]

Edit: (My apologies in advance if I have this in the wrong category but this was found in the Sebastian area.)
Afternoon all. Fairly new to MD'ing so be gentle with me. I'm hoping someone here can shed some light on this find.
I was out Sunday in some scrub and brush about 50' west of the dune south of Wabasso beach with my AT Max. Only about the 3rd time with it.

Got a 65-67 signal at about 6-8" in "Coin Mode" when I pulled this hinge out of the dirt. My heart jumped at first but then thought it was modern because of the uneven color and what appears to be full detail. Then I saw there was a nail still attached for mounting it to something (wood?). When I looked at the nail closely it has a square head and shaft except for the bottom half which is round.

It is really hard to determine the type of metal, which I'm hoping some one here can help with.

So I'm back and forth on the age of this and hoping for any light you can shed on this.
Thanks in advance to all for any help and comments.
Cliff

Edit: It appears to be cast, possibly bronze?

 

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[PetesPockets55]

Any ideas on the age or type of metal anyone?

 

[Salvor6]

Looks like brass. Did you check it out with a magnet?

 

[PetesPockets55]

Looks like brass. Did you check it out with a magnet?

Thanks Salvor6.
Of course I did (he says sheepishly), just now.
Non Magnetic.
I couldn't tell for sure by the shape of the nail how old it might be. It is non magnetic also and seemed almost too perfectly shaped. I've seen land based nails from the 1100's, 1700's and 1800's, but all were iron and used in general construction, not delicate items (furniture). But if it was intended for inside a jewelry box it might be more precise in shape and finish, especially since the nail appears to be the same metal as the hinge.

And I went back to check the same area since it was late when I found this, and nothing else comparable turned up in the immediate vicinity. (Odd shaped lead +-100 feet further west.)

Edit: These images are close to how it looked when it came out of the dirt/sand. Only had to shake it off.

 

[huntsman53]

IMHO, with a hinge approximately 1 3/4" long and such a long nail, the hinge likely came from a much larger box with much thicker wood than a Jewelry Box.

 

[PetesPockets55]

IMHO, with a hinge approximately 1 3/4" long and such a long nail, the hinge likely came from a much larger box with much thicker wood than a Jewelry Box.

Thanks for the reply Huntsman.
You're probably right. The wood would have been about 1/2" thick based on the distance between the head and the hinge body. Too thick for a delicate jewelry box.

Doesn't seem stout enough to be a ships cabinet hinge (from the captains quarters?)

I was just hoping someone might be familiar with a similar style, shape or time period.

I don't see any corrosion or sand/shells stuck to the surface, just some discoloration. Which leads me to believe it was never immersed in salt water. I thought it was neat that you can wear on the edge of the metal on each side of the receiver for the hing pin, from being opened and closed. Metal rubbing against metal.

 

[PetesPockets55]

I want to add an update to this thread and want to thank Ropesfish (Bill) for personally looking this hinge over.
(Actually a couple of extremely knowledgeable people have confirmed this is more than a regular utilitarian hinge after examining it in hand).
I was able to bring it by for Bill to look at in person. He believes that it is a decorative hinge (probably/possibly a jewelry box) from the 1715 era.

I confirmed to him the location it was found in relation to one of the wrecks. (In close proximity to where the Royals were found in 2015)

He also suggested having it tested for the metal content, as this might be helpful.
(Hopefully he will correct me if I do not recall his comments correctly)

Thanks to all for your help and comments. Cliff

 

[A2coins]

now find the jewelry