New guy here and an unusual find within 20 minutes.

[VinnyT]

Hi all.

Finally decided to get a beginner detector, a Bounty Hunter Lone Star Pro. I bought a house that was built in 1911. Started in the backyard and stumbled upon this. It registered as a 10c hit. It weighs 7.3oz, non-magnetic. I thought it was lead, but my lighter wouldn't even start to melt it after a minute straight. It will scratch if I use significant force with a pen knife. It will scratch glass and will not mark on paper.

Any ideas?

Thanks all!

 

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[trapperart]

Congrats and welcome to the forum. I find a lot of melted copper in the fields I hunt

 

[VinnyT]

Thank you! I'm anxious to go back out tomorrow.

 

[weregolf]

Looks like lead

 

[VinnyT]

It's too hard for lead

 

[against the wind]

Vinny, welcome to Tnet.
Part of the fun of metal detecting is trying to figure out what it is you have found.

 

[VinnyT]

Vinny, welcome to Tnet.
Part of the fun of metal detecting is trying to figure out what it is you have found.

Thank you. Yes, for sure! I guess I'll need to get a good metal test kit.

 

[releventchair]

Might be a " clinker" from burning coal.
That would mean you are in the neighborhood of silver coins era for sure.

 

[VinnyT]

Might be a " clinker" from burning coal.
That would mean you are in the neighborhood of silver coins era for sure.

I found it within 7 feet from an old black walnut tree.

 

[releventchair]

I found it within 7 feet from an old black walnut tree.

Where would you have dumped your furnace/ stove clean out debris? Winter ( if clime has much snow or elderly owner) would mean not that far.
The glass looking side is a type of slag.

The would likely have been a clothsline out back too.
Another place to check for coins.....

Some neighborhoods you could pay some one a nominal fee to get your stove going in the early morning.
A simpler time when they could just enter the unlocked cellar door to get in. ( Another place to check)?

 

[BTV Digger]

Welcome to the forum. No idea on the slag you have there.

John

 

[CRUSADER]

Its clearly slag from a fire or a metal working process. Hard to tell what mix of alloy from the photo but nothing precious to worry about.

 

[VinnyT]

Thanks all. I really never checked into the historical background of this house. It is a large home that built/owned by someone that had a lot of $$$ for the time. The fireplaces were coal burning and have ornate cover plates. I plan on getting a pinpointer today as the backyard is lighting up my detector.

One question. Would all slag light up in the silver range as does my piece of slag?

 

[CRUSADER]

Thanks all. I really never checked into the historical background of this house. It is a large home that built/owned by someone that had a lot of $$$ for the time. The fireplaces were coal burning and have ornate cover plates. I plan on getting a pinpointer today as the backyard is lighting up my detector.

One question. Would all slag light up in the silver range as does my piece of slag?

Yes, lots of non-precious finds hit in the silver range.(Aluminium for starters, some lead, copper, brass etc..) In the same way foil hits in the gold range. You need to learn to ignore the VDI/VDU as its unreliable. Best digging everything that doesn't sound like a nail & learning the sounds. I only glance at mine, as it makes no difference to whether I dig. I dig it all. NEVER DIG NUMBERS.