Chunk of silver!

[Shane508]

I just had an hour to spare before work, so I went back to the old farm that I visited a few days ago. Found this about a foot in the ground.

I have a lot more land here to search, so I will go back this weekend.

 

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[trapperart]

Congrats and good luck

 

[scruggs]

Hope you hit some good targets! Good luck!

 

[sutphin]

NEET FIND

 

[Tommybuckets]

So you did an acid test? How did it react? Dark or red? I've thrown out better looking junk lol

 

[Jason in Enid]

are you ABSOLUTELY sure that's silver? I've been digging for 35 years and that doesnt LOOK like silver. Guestimate based on the pic is that it's aluminum (with possibility of zinc or pot-metal).

Tip, just because it responds in the "silver" area of your detector doesn't mean anything.

 

[Shane508]

I tried the ice test and magnetic test.

If you put silver on an ice cube, it instantly starts melting, which it did.

After examining it more (original post was within 5 minutes of finding it), it may not be silver, but I'm not sure what other type of metal melts ice almost instantly.

 

[Tpmetal]

I tried the ice test and magnetic test.

If you put silver on an ice cube, it instantly starts melting, which it did.

After examining it more (original post was within 5 minutes of finding it), it may not be silver, but I'm not sure what other type of metal melts ice almost instantly.

aluminum is also a good conductor of heat so it will melt ice quickly, its very much lighter than silver though

 

[jan nielsen]

Try the first video Shane. https://www.google.dk/search?q=silv...jisvWAhXjC5oKHQMRCY8Q_AUIEygD&biw=360&bih=524

 

[Carolina Tom]

a melted beer can, is known as a "camp fire nugget" sometimes. Nugget because people mistake them for silver nuggets...

Don't mean to pop the bubble, but that is most likely NOT silver... HOWEVER, I like the way think sir.

Good luck!

 

[xr7ator]

Well said, Tom.

 

[Shane508]

aluminum is also a good conductor of heat so it will melt ice quickly, its very much lighter than silver though

I didn't know that alluminum can do that too. Good to know.

Try the first video Shane. https://www.google.dk/search?q=silv...jisvWAhXjC5oKHQMRCY8Q_AUIEygD&biw=360&bih=524

I just tried that, at work, and looks like a no. On a funny note, someone in the cubicle next to me was probably wondering why I was spitting on a piece of metal.

Oh well. It may just be very thick alluminum. It's definitely not a beer can though, as it's definitely thicker, very aged, and surprisingly pretty hard to bend.

Thanks for the info, people.

 

[Shane508]

Here's a more clear pic of a smaller piece

 

[Carolina Tom]

Well said, Tom.

Thanks XR7... I hope that Shane doesn't think that I am tool or anything. I try to go easy on the new members, and not let my toolishness get all out of hand.

Best to you brother!

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Congratualtions on the find!

 

[pepperj]

Call it nitro moment and I'm sure most have one, or believed something was something better till reality set in. I know I have had a good many over the past 45+ yrs, that's what makes it so exciting about this game.
That being said with yrs under your belt you'll look back and have a good chuckle about it all, and help others with your wisdom of knowing what is.
Another simple test is to rub the object with the thumb and then smell the skin - if a rotten egg/sulphur odour occurs that is the first indication of it being silver/or plated at least.

 

[Shane508]

Thanks XR7... I hope that Shane doesn't think that I am tool or anything. I try to go easy on the new members, and not let my toolishness get all out of hand.

Best to you brother!

Nah, I'll embrace any criticism I can get right now; I'm still new to this, after years of saying "I'll eventually buy a metal detector." I'm sure if I stick with it, within a year, I'll be able to identify metals, stones, coins, and artifacts that I currently have no clue what they are.

I've been trying to find old sites by researching, and I'm actually having a fun time re-learning history of the American Revolution, Civil War, etc, that I didn't care to know back in high school. Metal detecting makes learning fun lol.

 

[Jason in Enid]

The "ice test" is a horribly un-scientific "test". It is really meaningless.

Over time, you will learn to ID silver just looking at it. You will the way it shines and the ways it can tarnish. You will learn how different coins corrode and tarnish, what brass, copper, aluminum, zinc, and pewter look like from the ground.

For an improv field test for silver, the rubbing method would be a lot more accurate. Silver LOVES sulfur and reacts with it as much as possible. There is almost always a sulfur component present on the surface of silver (not to mention on your hands). So when you rub the silver you get that reaction going a little bit more and can usually smell that sulfur compound. Just don't try this on coin unless you know for certain they don't have collector value. A good rub even with clean hands will leave scratches on the face and reduce value.

 

[Icewing]

I think what you have might actually be a heavily oxidized, melted aluminum and magnesium alloy.
It's a common alloy used it car and tractor parts.

On a side note. If a fire reaches a high enough temp to ignite the magnesium, water won't put it out because it burns so hot it breaks water down into hydrogen and oxygen thus making the water both a fuel and an oxidizer. So adding water to burning aluminum/magnesium car parts like wheels, starters, or transmission housings results in a bigger hotter fire. As a former firefighter I dealt with lots of that stuff, it's never fun spraying water on a fire and seeing a huge white fireball.




Here you will see a magnesium fire explode, when it does it ignites the steam as well.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D1hhgTbtsCs

 

[Jason in Enid]

I think what you havemight actually be a heavily oxidized, melted aluminum and magnesium alloy.
It's a common alloy used it car and tractor parts.

On a side note. If a fire reaches a high enough temp to ignite the magnesium, water won't put it out because it burns so hot it breaks water down into hydrogen and oxygen thus making the water both a fuel and an oxidizer. So adding water to burning aluminum/magnesium car parts like wheels, starters, or transmission housings results in a bigger hotter fire. As a former firefighter I dealt with lots of that stuff, it's never fun spraying water on a fire and seeing a huge white fireball.

View attachment 1499613

HAhaha, I LOVE when that happens on car fires. I'm like , "hell yeah, hit it again!" The car is toast at that point anyway. I always find it wierd where magnesium is included. I have seen it in steering parts, pedals, something around the headlight area, wheels, motor parts and its different in every car.