Lead or silver?

[dcbaros]

I found a lump of an unknown metal in the yard of an old farmhouse, it is a pretty good size, about the size of a fist and reads as silver on my cheapo whites prism 2 metal detector, I suspect it to be lead..would lead read as silver?

 

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[PChammer]

I found a lump of an unknown metal in the yard of an old farmhouse, it is a pretty good size, about the size of a fist and reads as silver on my cheapo whites prism 2 metal detector, I suspect it to be lead..would lead read as silver?

Do you have a picture? Also, lead is much softer than silver so if you can test by scraping it that may be a good indication. May be a chunk of pewter too which contains small amounts of lead but mainly tin if I remember correctly and possibly even copper I think. I don't know much about metal detectors but If I recall, lead and another metal are very hard for detectors to not pick up on or distinguish between or eliminate from, which I think you are getting at.

Paul

 

[oldsledz]

Most detectors will nor read right on items that big.

 

[traderoftreasures]

if you can gouge it with a old nail it's lead. silver would be hard to scratch

 

[dcbaros]

im pretty sure its lead, tomm i will test to see if it reacts with nitric acid.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

yep

 

[dcinffxva]

An easy way to tell would be to rub it across a piece of paper. Lead will leave a mark similar to a pencil, silver will not.