I think its a........oh I dont know, help stop me from guessing please!

[dartostunic]

I think its a........oh I don't know, help stop me from guessing please!

Ok all you metal heads. I found this yesterday at an old farm house in central NYS. It was buried about 17 inches deep next to an old maple tree. I had to cut through roots to get at it and have to admit that on a couple occasions I was thinking,'oh maybe its just a ghost signal, let it go'. But here it is in all its oxidized glory. I lightly cleaned it with some water and a damp cloth. Pretty sure its copper, but I could be wrong. It has decorative designs on all sides. A small clasp type piece can be seen one side. I thought belt buckle but does not seem heavy enough to do the job. What say you?

 

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[Subterranean]

(1) Welcome and Congrats on an unusual find. (2) What the hell kind of super detector are you using to pull something that small up from 17 inches deep? (3) With the stamped recess around the square on the reverse, it could have held a small piece of decorative glass (window) and the smaller hole was a keyhole. (4) maybe a small decorative door for a jewelry box or curio cabinet? Happy hunting, Sub

 

[DigIron2]

It does look like some kind of lock plate.It's design has me interested.Does it say something on it or is that all decoration ?

 

[dartostunic]

It does look like some kind of lock plate.It's design has me interested.Does it say something on it or is that all decoration ?

I have not cleaned other than some mild soap and water. But at the top portion of the piece it looks like there may be some writing. Any suggestions on how to clean better without causing damage to the lettering?

Thanks for the reply

 

[dartostunic]

Subt,

Thanks for the reply. I use a fischer f5. To get max depth penetration I go right after a rain. I won't say it works all the time that well, but I have dug deep for many finds. My detecting pal also thought it looked like an ornamental piece for a box. I will return to the site in a week or so to see if I pick up another signal. Roots made it so hard to get this piece I had a beer and that was the end of that. Haha.

 

[DigIron2]

If the soap and water don't work,take your old toothbrush,get some lemon juice ,mix about 80%juice to about 20%water.I would brush it with that solution at least long enough to get some of the green grime off.shouldn't take long at all,maybe 5 minutes tops?Just like everything else,"don't over do".rinse real well with water, then see what you got.gl , I hope you can make something out on it,keep us posted joe

 

[shawninNY]

Yip what digs iron said!

 

[cudamark]

You can also lay it down in the bottom of an aluminum pie pan and cover the item with vinegar. let it sit for an hour or two. Pull it out and rub it with some baking soda. Rinse thoroughly and it should be nice and shiny!

 

[shawninNY]

I'm a fan of baking soda and a small amount of water for the abrasive , not enough to do damage but gets that cemented dirt off !

 

[Breezie]

I agree; I think it's some type of vintage thumb latch lock plate similar to the one below.

WELCOME to the forum!


Breezie

 

[dartostunic]

Thanks for all the replies folks. And thanks especially for the cleaning tips. Will see what I can do with it and update you later. I am also going to return to the site to see if somthing else is lurking in the same area.

 

[CoilyGirl]

That is a cool item,can't wait to see it all cleaned up and hope you can read the writing on it. Welcome to the forum.