🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Pewter round ball?

[Older The Better]

I think I got a pewter round ball, I went back to my new site to poke around, lots of square nails, lots of scraps of iron, when I found this I was sure it was a round ball then I realized it was much lighter than a lead ball. I’m thinking it’s a pewter ball. I’ve been looking into them and there seems to be some question wether people used them much. Anyone know much about them? Lots of references pointed to the revolutionary war but that seems a bit far fetched for a Kansas field, but still could have been used in a pinch later in time, or it could even be Indian and just a coincidence it was found at a later site. Curious what you guys think
First pic is of the other round balls and 22 slugs I found, and a dropped 22 short but it shows the true color, the second may be a plow Knick and the sprue, the third shows a possible mold seam, and the last is just another angle…

Oh for those interested got a thimble, which was exciting for me because it’s more evidence of a house

 

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[smokeythecat]

The old timers wouldn't waste metals. Perhaps an old tankard or broken spoon got melted down and used as shot. It happened a lot.

 

[Older The Better]

So are pewter balls really rare or just uncommon? I’ve never found one before but I don’t know what else it would be

 

[smokeythecat]

Uncommon. Until you run into a household where they only had the pewter, then at that site they are very common.

 

[alloy_II]

I don't think the ball is pewter which consists mostly of tin.

Cut off a sliver or make some filings, add those to a dilute muratic acid aka hydrochloric acid add a bit of heat. If its pewter the tin metal will dissolve.

Pewter ( / ˈpjuːtər /) is a malleable metal alloy consisting of tin (85-99%), antimony (approximately 5-10%), copper (2%), bismuth, and sometimes silver.

 

[Older The Better]

I don’t have any acid on hand or am much of a fan of damaging items, I was guessing pewter because it’s much lighter than a lead or steel ball. If it matters I did hit it with a brass brush to see what it looked like, it originally looked more like a rock. I highly doubt it’s aluminum, pewter fit well with the weight and potential age of the site, from what I understand in the mid to late 1800’s aluminum was rare and used in jewelry so if it was between a new rare metal and an old cup to make a bullet Id bet on pewter… unles there’s another light weight metal I’m missing

 

[alloy_II]

I don’t have any acid on hand or am much of a fan of damaging items, I was guessing pewter because it’s much lighter than a lead or steel ball. If it matters I did hit it with a brass brush to see what it looked like, it originally looked more like a rock. I highly doubt it’s aluminum, pewter fit well with the weight and potential age of the site, from what I understand in the mid to late 1800’s aluminum was rare and used in jewelry so if it was between a new rare metal and an old cup to make a bullet Id bet on pewter… unles there’s another light weight metal I’m missing

Magnesium was discovered in the year 1755.

A cleaned surface will almost immediately oxidize forming a passive layer when exposed to the atmosphere.