Please Help Identify Possible CW Relic

[Spiritwind]

Hi all, I was out the other day hunting for relics in a Civil War spot where both sides dug in along a river and made camps. This place has been highly hunted over the years but I know that if you slow down and listen for the faint signals you usually find stuff that others have walked over. Well, this was the case again, but this signal was near a creek and should have never been missed. Just goes to show ya...
Have any of you ever seen a lead ignot like this before? It has the white patina that bullets have and it has the letters, (I think) GLW on it. Could the letters possibly be Georgia Lead Works
It weighs 3 pounds, is 4 1/2" long, on bottom is 2 1/4"wide, and 1 1/4" high. Letters are about 1 inch in height. I also found a couple of bullets overlooked tooooo...
I've hunted relics for many years and never saw one of these before...Tell me what ya think...

 

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[jdsarasin8194]

looks like a lead wax seal stamper mabby
could be CW

 

[Spiritwind]

If it was a stamp, wouldn't the letters be backwards?? Not sure though....It has a flat back with no other markings.

 

[jdsarasin8194]

If it was a stamp, wouldn't the letters be backwards?? Not sure though....It has a flat back with no other markings.

This is true

 

[Mr Tuff]

nice old lead MR TUFF

 

[Gonehunting]

cool find... no clue

 

[RELICDUDE07]

Could be the way they got it ---------- before they melt & pour into the bullet molds?Cool find!

 

[ivan salis]

small lead bars of this type were often melted down and used to cast bullets in the feild

 

[X-Terra70_TreasureHunter]

Cival War Inspectors:

http://www.mikescivilwar.com/marks.htm

Dave

 

[CRUSADER]

Cival War Inspectors:

http://www.mikescivilwar.com/marks.htm

Dave

I'm confused, are you saying its an inspectors mark like:

'GLW G. L. Wotykns, Capt., USA--Colts 1926'


I'm know pretty little about Lead ingots but I would guess its more likely a foundry mark (company)

 

[ivan salis]

that listing for GLW * can be misleading -- since its for colt arms for 1926 not lead bars -- however to show how letters 2 or 3 were used as inspector "marks" in that way it is useful --- GLW could be either the "foundry" mark ( georgia lead works) or "possibly a "inspectors" mark GLW meaning the lead was of the proper purity -- clearly the GLW from the colts us army "inspector" of 1926 would not be the same fellow as the civil war era "inspector" even if they have similar letters in their name. since 1865 to 1926 is 61 years apart after all.

 

[Spiritwind]

Thanks for your input. Ivan I'm thinking along the same lines as you as it being a foundry mark. I've done some basic research but haven't found anything yet about a company here in Georgia making lead then. Not sure how to proceed with that quest...By the way I found it on the Confederate side of the river. There are still some trench lines and there was suppose to be an artillery emplacements and a hospital on the hills there. Other people years ago have found many cool relics at this spot. Not many places like this left with all the construction that took place over the last 10 years. Many places I use to hunt along the river are under condos now..what a shame we couldn't have preserved these places of history..

 

[bradsguns]

This may be a stretch...but here it goes...
The stock trade symbol for Corning Glass Works is GLW...
"in 1932 scientists at the Corning Glassworks, New York, developed a new lead glass of high optical clarity. This became the focus of Steuben glassworks(founded 1903), a division of Corning, which produced decorative vases, bowls, and glasses in Art Deco style. Lead-crystal continues to be used in industrial and decorative applications."

Maybe a lead ingot from Corning

Brad

 

[Montauk]

Maybe "Galena Lead Works"? From Galena Illinois. (Home town of U.S. Grant)
Galena, named after the lead ore, located in Jo Daviess County was producing
eighty percent of the lead in the United States prior to the Civil War. I haven't
found anything though to corroborate my theory about your ingot. An inquiry
directed to the Jo Daviess County Historical Society & Galena History Museum
may shed some light, or not.
http://www.galenahistorymuseum.org/

 

[Spiritwind]

Thanks Montauk for the lead....I'll see what I can find...

 

[Treasure $ Trekkies]

John D. Gray, an Englishman and railroad contractor had a lead mine in west Virgina and sold lead to the confedrats, Gray Lead Works. He made a mint selling the lead. I hope this was sum help. Frank

 

[Spiritwind]

Thanks that's another lead I can follow...

 

[Montauk]

Possibly Granby Lead Works? In Granby, Missouri.
This, from "The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture": "At the outbreak
of the war, Confederate troops seized the rich Granby lead mines of southwest
Missouri, then touted as able to provide all the lead needed for the Confederate
cause. In 1861, 75,000 pounds of pig lead a month were being hauled overland
to be shipped to the Memphis, Tennessee, ordnance works."
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=5405

It seems that quite a lot of smelted lead product was shipped out of Granby.
Not just lead ore.

I couldn't find anything specific to your ingot. An inquiry directed to the
Newton County Historical Society may help.
http://www.newtoncountyhistoricalsociety.org/

The Granby Historical Society has no website. They do have a phone.
(417) 472-3171

 

[Spiritwind]

Thanks again Montauk. I'll have to pursue all these leads when I have time and post again if I find anything definite...Thanks for your time.....

 

[EDDE]

plumbers lead