Big Lead Square Nail??? Any Ideas???

[DeArmitt Pa]

Well, back again to the Red Brick house, and this is the first weekend that neither my father-in-law or I got a large cent from the place. I did manage to scrape up a couple of little finds.

2 Flat buttons, some more modern pants buttons and what not. A small piece of fired lead. An iron buckle, and the very oddball, gigantic lead square nail. I have never heard or seen anyone dig a lead nail and let alone being this big . It was a good 8 inches down under a rock. The small end reads in as a 12-22 and the fatter end reads a 12-36. It looks like maybe the very tip of the nail is missing. The nail is over 5 inches long and weighs 4 oz.

If anyone has an idea about this nail, let me know. Keep'em Swinging.

 

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[Iron Patch]

Sure it's lead and not brass, copper, or bronze. Looks like what we call ship spikes but I am not sure if that's actually their use. At least not 100%. anyway.

 

[DeArmitt Pa]

Positive its lead, I bent it by accident pulling it out of the hole and bent it back straight with my hands.

 

[Iron Patch]

Positive its lead, I bent it by accident pulling it out of the hole and bent it back straight with my hands.

I know the majority we have found aren't lead, but I have a feeling at least a few over the years may have been. It does look exactly the same as the non lead ones we find.

 

[dwayne sueno]

I found a lead square nail a touch smaller than that once that had an iron nail inside of it. Never figured out what it might have been used for, but it crossed my mind that if one were nailing into masonry, perhaps the lead would be driven into the hole around the iron and get a better grab. an early molly bolt, of sorts, i suppose. doesn't look as though yours has any iron in it, though, which makes my last thought a little tangential.
cool find, nonetheless!

 

[Iron Patch]

Here's what we find.

http://www.chinaseatrading.com/results_flotsam.php?Search=flotsam_key

 

[unearthed]

Cool finds; looks like you're on to a good site. Hit it again. I think the lead nail under a rock is a
survey marker. We still use lead to mark points in concrete sidewalks, no muss no fuss if you know
what I mean.

HH
UNEARTHED