🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Hand wrought nail is how old?

[Midden-marauder]

I realize nails are not easy to ID and date but I'm wondering if we have any experts here that might be able to get a date estimate on this little rust rod. The grain of the iron would seem to run the length of the nail based on rust flaking/cracking suggesting, according to at least one resource that this nail is post 1830 but the irregularly shaped head, the obvious hammer marks and strangely cut tip point to something fairly old. It's the only one of it's kind I've found on this property, all the rest are clearly modern(1940+). Any guesses?

 

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[vpnavy]

Here are a few informative articles talking about nails...

University of Vermont
Clues to a Building's History
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Nail Chronology - National Park Service

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The History of Nail Making
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Identifying Fakes and Reproductions

​

 

[cajundetector]

I realize nails are not easy to ID and date but I'm wondering if we have any experts here that might be able to get a date estimate on this little rust rod. The grain of the iron would seem to run the length of the nail based on rust flaking/cracking suggesting, according to at least one resource that this nail is post 1830 but the irregularly shaped head, the obvious hammer marks and strangely cut tip point to something fairly old. It's the only one of it's kind I've found on this property, all the rest are clearly modern(1940+). Any guesses?

Nice find👍

 

[Midden-marauder]

Here are a few informative articles talking about nails...

University of Vermont
Clues to a Building's History
​

---

Nail Chronology - National Park Service

​

---

The History of Nail Making
​

---

Identifying Fakes and Reproductions

​

Hey thanks! The source I was digging in got even more detailed. The nail is so crudely fashioned and clearly worked with a hammer it would have most thinking it must be 1800 or older but, the lengthwise rust scale and fine cracking are likely indicators of it being 1830 or later. The grain of the iron appears to follow the length of the nail as opposed to across the shank. It's a little blurry to be honest, all else found on the property is otherwise 1940 or later but this nail is the only of it's kind I've found here so far so it's a right head scratcher. If you haven't already you might add this to your toolkit, this site goes into even greater detail:

Key to Age of Antique Metal Nails

Key to Age & History of Antique Metal Nails: Easy questions help form a guess at the plausible age of various types of antique & modern nails, including wood treenails, hand-wrought nails, cut nails, wire nails.

inspectapedia.com

 

[Midden-marauder]

For now all I can assume is that it's from the 40s like the rest of the stuff I find on this late 1930s property. Based on a 1935 aerial photo of this location it was an old flood plain which had not yet been fully developed. There were farms surrounding the precise location of the modern property but there was zero indication of any buildings here at that time, just cottonwoods. Very vague possibility that it's pre 1830 but nothing else I find on this property is anywhere near that old. It's just a strange thing to dig up in a yard full of modern roofing nails buried less than an inch down.

 

[vpnavy]

... If you haven't already you might add this to your toolkit, this site goes into even greater detail:

Key to Age of Antique Metal Nails

Key to Age & History of Antique Metal Nails: Easy questions help form a guess at the plausible age of various types of antique & modern nails, including wood treenails, hand-wrought nails, cut nails, wire nails.

inspectapedia.com

Thanks! I have included it for my next post.