Musket ball or bullet?

IronSpike · Oct 30, 2009

Found on 'flat track trail', which is not so flat anymore

Thought I would get a quick scan in on the limited area and found this interesting lead bullet. Shaped almost like a button :icon_scratch:

Also found rock with pyrite or gold. How do you test?

taz42o · Oct 30, 2009

Rub it on unglazed porcelain tile . black streak is pyrite, yellow streak is gold.
Or hydrochloric acid, if its gold acid will not effect it.

this pic is of pyrite in quartz .

IronSpike · Oct 30, 2009

taz42o said:
Rub it on unglazed porcelain tile . black streak is pyrite, yellow streak is gold.
Or hydrochloric acid, if its gold acid will not effect it.

this pic is of pyrite in quartz .

Thanks taz420. Have a testing kit. Just poor solution on it or bust rock to get specs?

Any truth to the old saying: "Near fools gold is real gold"?

IronSpike · Oct 30, 2009

Tested with gold solution kit. No color reaction :dontknow:

taz42o · Oct 30, 2009

I have never used kit so not much help there.
Steak test is simplest and will give definite gold or pyrite answer.

IronSpike · Oct 30, 2009

taz42o said:
I have never used kit so not much help there.
Steak test is simplest and will give definite gold or pyrite answer.

Kind of hard to streak test with specimen in the quartz. I'll find my small hammer and bust rocks

Maybe the old saying goes like: "Near pyrite is fool nearby".

randazzo1 · Oct 30, 2009

for what its worth - it looks like gold.

IronSpike · Oct 30, 2009

randazzo1 said:
for what its worth - it looks like gold.

Ahhh I like that :wink:

What about the lead? Is it a musket ball?

doublet2a · Oct 30, 2009

Who cares about lead when we are talking GOLD here. :tongue3:

Doesn't look like a bullet to me. But I'm not a expert.

Tim

Woodland Detectors · Oct 30, 2009

IronSpike said:
Found on 'flat track trail', which is not so flat anymore Thought I would get a quick scan in on the limited area and found this interesting lead bullet. Shaped almost like a button

Also found rock with pyrite or gold. How do you test?

That's a wonderfull..

Specimen of quartz and pyrite

IronSpike · Oct 30, 2009

doublet2a said:
Who cares about lead when we are talking GOLD here.
Doesn't look like a bullet to me. But I'm not a expert.

Tim

The other rock also very heavy and has streaks/specs. Getting it out of the quartz probably wouldn't produce much

Anyway, thought I would share those last minute finds from this location and still not 100% sure the lead is a musket ball :icon_scratch:

4-H said:
IronSpike said:

Found on 'flat track trail', which is not so flat anymore Thought I would get a quick scan in on the limited area and found this interesting lead bullet. Shaped almost like a button

Also found rock with pyrite or gold. How do you test?

Click to expand...

That's a wonderfull..

Specimen of quartz and pyrite

Thanks Mike :thumbsup:

How do you determine? The way it's in the quartz?

vayank54 · Oct 30, 2009

I'm no expert on the gold part but the rock looks like Pyrite we used to get when I worked at a rock quarry. I could be wrong on that though. Look around the edge of the lead thing to see if there is any iron wire if so it's a lead seal. I've dug several from the late 1800's shaped like that. If there's no wire then I'd say it's a fired round ball

IronSpike · Oct 30, 2009

vayank54 said:
I'm no expert on the gold part but the rock looks like Pyrite we used to get when I worked at a rock quarry. I could be wrong on that though. Look around the edge of the lead thing to see if there is any iron wire if so it's a lead seal. I've dug several from the late 1800's shaped like that. If there's no wire then I'd say it's a fired round ball

Thanks vayank54 :icon_thumright:

No wires in the lead. I'll green check as fired musket ball :icon_thumright:

I'm no expert on the gold either and very well could be pyrite.

vayank54 · Oct 30, 2009

Your'e welcome. I hope you find out something on the rock.

IronSpike · Nov 6, 2009

I do believe this is gold in quartz :icon_sunny:

Back out this morning to find more

Michaelangelo · Nov 6, 2009

Nice pics Spike. Looks like you're hunting spot is going to be gone soon!!

IronSpike · Nov 6, 2009

Michaelangelo said:
Nice pics Spike. Looks like you're hunting spot is going to be gone soon!!

Yeah the gold will be buried forever

but I can still get on my bicycle and ride this trail :wink:

Bigcypresshunter · Nov 6, 2009

Dues the quartz signal with a metal detector?

Does Pyrite signal with a metal detector?

IronSpike · Nov 6, 2009

bigcypresshunter said:
Dues the quartz signal with a metal detector?

Does Pyrite signal with a metal detector?

No signal from metal detector. Just an interesting looking quartz picked up in the dark

Bigcypresshunter · Nov 6, 2009

IronSpike said:
bigcypresshunter said:

Dues the quartz signal with a metal detector?

Does Pyrite signal with a metal detector?

Click to expand...

No signal from metal detector. Just an interesting looking quartz picked up in the dark

I would think gold would be picked up by a sensitive metal detector. Turn off all discrimination. If you have a detector that can pick up a thin gold chain, it should pick up this, if its gold.

As far as the test solution, you can only expect to test metal with a test solution. I suggest try to to determine if it is in fact even metal.