How old is this iron

[allison86]

Today for the first time ever I am going to go through my metel decteing finds and throw some of my old junk away but I found this a while back and forgot about it I am wondering if this is cast iron and I know it's a bolt or something like that I found this at the park that was a fort during the Civil War

 

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[allison86]

 

[A2coins]

Looks like the shape of a door stop that thing is so old you could have everyone guess and they would all be different.Good idea to ask before you toss it just in case....

 

[allison86]

Here is some more pictures I dug up a lot of nuts and bolts but none that looks like this

 

[Tony in SC]

It's an old carriage bolt and nut. They've been around a long time. That looks middle to late 1800s. Tony

 

[SkaBa]

From the pics, it appears to be a carriage bolt with a square nut.

 

[LaLongs]

We just found these square bolts this weekend. Smaller than yours. Are these carriage bolts also?

 

[Tony in SC]

Could be, but carriage bolts have a rounded head and short square shank. You don't have the whole bolt. Tony

 

[villagenut]

Smack some of that rust off of it and you may see some threads on it,at least maybe some signs of them.

 

[allison86]

It's similar to mine but compared to mine it dosent look like it came off a bugy

 

[SkaBa]

It's similar to mine but compared to mine it dosent look like it came off a bugy

A carriage bolt is a TYPE of bolt, not necessarily off of a buggy or carriage.

 

[tamrock]

There's an old abandoned rail road grade behind where I live that was a spur to a coal mine and all the track was pulled, but many of the track bolt left behind look almost exactly with the same amount of deterioration as yours. The track spikes on the other hand are not as rusted away as the track bolts and this makes me think the old bolts were made of higher carbon steel?. What I know about the old RR grade is it was most likely put in around the 1880's. and ripped up during WW2 for scrap, as the coal mine did operate in to the later 1930's and shut down to a fire I believe. The 2nd half of the 19th century is my guess on when your bolt was made.

 

[TheHbeast]

the square bolt and extent of the corrosion indicate its probably at least 150 yo. couldnt tell you what it is though.

 

[gunsil]

I agree with Tamrock, I doubt it is pre-1900. Square bolts and nuts are still in use, steel will corrode that much in 50 years in many instances.

 

[allison86]

Sines where I found mine was a mid 1800s army fort it more then likely is from the 1800s

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Sines where I found mine was a mid 1800s army fort it more then likely is from the 1800s

I found this at the park that was a fort during the Civil War

Not neccessarily. It appears that your park has had years of modern use.

 

[LaLongs]

Wow! Am delighted with the abundance of replies on first post! We are in an area with an abundance of metal from powder flask tops, musket balls, cast iron stove pieces, wagon wheels, "rolled gold" watch pieces to plows. This is from 2 weeks ago. We left all the big pieces.