Metal Nugget from CA River

[KoD]

Hello everyone,
I found a greyish-silver metal Nugget approximately 1.7cm in length and 0.7cm in width, while swimming through the Merced River in California (a bit cold).

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Before gently scrubbing with soapy water:




It has a shiny silver to almost white streak on porcelain and from what I can tell with my weak magnets, it's not ferromagnetic. There's a possible weak interaction but nothing conclusive (used socket wrench/screwdriver magnets). I don't have a good mass scale either but I gather it's about 1 gram in weight using my less than top shelf kitchen scale. It feels lighter than a 1 cent penny and close to or just lighter than a 10 cent dime.

I haven't tried to polish it, I was considering putting some egg yolk on a spot and see if it tarnishes. Thoughts on that and thoughts on what this peculiar nugget could be?? Suggestions on tests to try or how to get it analyzed or if it's worth the effort to do so?

 

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[Kray Gelder]

It looks like a river-tumbled wad of foil.

 

[Jason in Enid]

aluminum.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Probably a fire nugget,a melted beer can.

 

[desertexplorer]

Does it bend easily? If so then it could be lead or as was suggested, wadded up aluminum foil.

 

[DizzyDigger]

That's an interesting find, and I'm thinking it could be one a few
different things. One thing for certain, it's had the crap beat out of
it bouncing along that river bottom.

I don't believe it's a mercury covered gold nugget, but that is a remote
possibility. Another option would be a small chunk of pencil lead sinker
used/lost by drift fishermen.

You'd probably have to run some chemical tests to ultimately
determine what it's made of.

Enhanced pic:

 

[KoD]

I pressed into it with some sharp steel scissors, it seems pretty rigid and somewhat hard. A moderate amount of force left only a small indention, much less than what I'd expect from compressed aluminum foil. It's not easily malleable, I can't bend it with my hands.

 

[Fossils]

My guess is that it’s a piece of aluminum. If possible, try measuring its volume via water displacement to find the density.

 

[Jason in Enid]

I pressed into it with some sharp steel scissors, it seems pretty rigid and somewhat hard. A moderate amount of force left only a small indention, much less than what I'd expect from compressed aluminum foil. It's not easily malleable, I can't bend it with my hands.

Thats because its a blob of melted aluminum. Its from people throwing beer cans into their camp fire.

 

[KoD]

That makes sense, I can see it being aluminum based on the weight. I'll see about water displacement, I don't have any fancy beakers or anything but I can get 10mL syringes that may suffice?

Thanks everyone for your input!! It's much appreciated

 

[Whatdayagot]

See if it’s magnetic