is this junk?

keith351 · Sep 17, 2011

some kind of pot.. aluminum/silver/pewter? old/new? i don't know..any help would be appreciated..thank you ..see pictures..

joeman · Sep 17, 2011

Looks like cast 'Pot Metal'. Not sure about age however, but looks older than me! :laughing7:

Bigcypresshunter · Sep 17, 2011

Looks like cast aluminum. Maybe an alloy. Is it a nicknack or a real pot? Can we get the size? I have a tiny 2 inch pot thats similar.

keith351 · Sep 17, 2011

it's about 6 inches on top..about 6-7 inches high..it has 3 legs...there is a star shape pop out the bottom..maybe a makers mark...there is a pat. no. on the bottom hard to make out..looks like 22147..very early? i have more pictures..i am having a hard time posting them..

Bigcypresshunter · Sep 17, 2011

keith351 said:
it's about 6 inches on top..about 6-7 inches high..it has 3 legs...there is a star shape pop out the bottom..maybe a makers mark...there is a pat. no. on the bottom hard to make out..looks like 22147..very early? i have more pictures..i am having a hard time posting them..

The patent is 20th century about post 1920ish I think. In the 19th century and early 20th they used a month/day format.

If the patent number begins with 22147... it would be 1940. Thats about the time aluminum cookware became popular. http://www.oldstuffonly.com/patent_dates.asp

They didnt realize aluminum pots were dangerous until much later, if its a real cooking pot.
http://www.ehow.com/about_5426262_dangers-aluminum-cookware.html

TheCannonballGuy · Sep 17, 2011

Several decades ago, when I was studying various dug excavated war artillery metal sabots, and excavated Pewter, Brittania-metal, and "white tombac" buttons, I realized it is often (though not always) possible to figure out a metal's identity by the characteristics of the oxidation/corrosion on it.

Explaining what I mean by oxidation/corrosion characteristics:
The corrosion's "form" refers to characteristics such as powderiness, or crater-pitting, or cracks, or plate-like scaling, etc.
The oxidation's color is a clue to the metal's identity.

Keith351's pot shows the distinctive characteristics of Aluminum oxidation/corrosion ...so in my opinion, that's what his pot is made of.