Found today: someone's ball and chain

Rustic

Sr. Member
Jul 10, 2015
394
663
western MA
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Garrett pinpointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
So I'm detecting that remote home site and getting a loud signal from my detector so I dig my hole and I'm probing in the hole, trying to find the target, but I'm having trouble getting to it as there's a curved, solid rock in the side of my hole, making everything difficult. Decided to dig out this danged rock and get it out of the way, but got quite a shock as it emerged a sphere. At first I thought it was a cannonball until I saw the attachment to it.

It is heavy I'd say at least 30 pounds, so I'm guessing it's mostly lead, but the super interesting twist is that whoever made it, looks like he tried to decorate it by putting coins on the surface. Unfortunately I can't make any of them out though.

Then I had to decide if I should leave it where I found it, cause it's so heavy, but I finally decided to hump it out in my backpack, which was no fun.

When I got home with it, my 80 year old father takes one look, and without missing a beat says "that there's the ball and chain your mother gave me.."

But seriously, he thought it might have been used as a weight to close a gate of some sort, which squares perfectly with where I found it, next to the stonewall which delineates the homestead.

Also came across the neat, lightning-struck white pine, which must have burned for a couple days to get all hollowed out like that.... beautiful. No other notable finds today.

Thanks for looking and best of luck,
Cynthia


IMG_1898_kindlephoto-1041378732.jpg IMG_1899.JPG IMG_1894.JPG IMG_1896-2.JPG
 

Upvote 14

seekerGH

Hero Member
Jan 25, 2016
887
570
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Will be very interested to see the coins cleaned up.
 

kingskid1611

Gold Member
Feb 23, 2015
8,127
6,664
Oklahoma
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That is really interesting. Can you clean them coins up, at least I hope they are coins. Congrats on the exploring opportunity in your day.
 

OP
OP
Rustic

Rustic

Sr. Member
Jul 10, 2015
394
663
western MA
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Garrett pinpointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Will be very interested to see the coins cleaned up.

Unfortunately the coins are melted onto the lead ball, cannot be removed, and from the looks of them there will be no id possible...
 

Molewacker

Bronze Member
Feb 9, 2015
1,537
2,552
Yacolt WA
Detector(s) used
EQ 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Good Going on a interesting recovery !

You said the coins are melted onto the lead ball - perhaps the lead was melted onto the coins

Anyone know with melting points of lead and older coins? I can melt lead with a soldering iron but not a silver quarter -
 

Last edited:

Gridwalker306

Gold Member
Nov 10, 2010
6,012
7,406
Canada
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, ATPro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That's a pretty interesting find, definitely a cool relic. Strange to have the coins melted onto it, makes it even more of a conversation piece.
 

OP
OP
Rustic

Rustic

Sr. Member
Jul 10, 2015
394
663
western MA
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Garrett pinpointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Good Going on a interesting recovery !

You said the coins are melted onto the lead ball - perhaps the lead was melted onto the coins

Anyone know with melting points of lead and older coins? I can melt lead with a soldering iron but not a silver quarter -

Yes, that's definitely possible. I actually have no idea how he managed it... besides the coins, I see old nails, too, sunken in the lead. How is a ball of molten lead made? How is the shape kept round without flattening out as it cools? It's as if he had a ball of play dough and he stuck things in it and on its surface, but how is that possible with hot lead? It's so heavy, maybe I'll weigh it on the bathroom scale to be sure. When I said 30 pounds, that was my estimate...
 

ScubaDetector

Silver Member
Mar 1, 2016
3,668
8,247
Port Huron MI
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
2 Fisher CZ-21's 8 and 10" coils
Tesoro Tiger Shark 8 and 10" coils (Interchangeable)
Minelab E-Trac with Sun Ray Probe
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
Now that is an interesting conversation piece . Strange.
 

BigWaveDave

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2013
9,307
16,929
Mountain Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
4
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, AT Max, Minelab
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Bizarre find to say the least....very cool!
 

Mifarmer

Sr. Member
Jun 30, 2014
253
448
Barry county
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT PRO x2 XP DEUS!
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I hope you rechecked the hole because to me it looks like it's missing a few coins!
Kyle-
 

Oct 5, 2014
31,886
35,424
Massachusetts
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Garrett: AT Pro, AT Gold & Infinium; Minelab: Explorer SE, II; Simplex; Tesoro: Tejon & Outlaw; White's: V3i
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Very cool relic, probably has an interesting history! :occasion14:
 

Chizzy

Bronze Member
Feb 11, 2015
1,968
3,144
North Central PA
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Compadre, Tesoro Vaquero, Garrett Pro-Pointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Definitely a unique find with some family history.........!!
Hope it cleans up well for you. It would make one heck of a door stop............
 

U.B.

Sr. Member
Apr 27, 2015
484
710
Oklahoma
Detector(s) used
AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Gotta love your dad's comment. That is an interesting find for sure. Does a magnet stick to those coins? From your pictures, it looks like their on the opposite end of the eye. Keep hunting that site, and good luck!
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Discussions

Top