What is it? In the wood

[Glenn1of12]

Hi. LOVE the site!

I was hoping to get some information or direction of where to get further information.

I found this while looking for shells one night on a South Jersey Beach.

The wood has many large dowels and lots of worm damage. It wasn't till the next day that I noticed the incredibly clean meal spike. I am so intrigued.

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

[N5XTR]

Welcome to Tnet. No idea on your piece but I bet someone will know.

 

[Backwoodsbob]

Looks like gold

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[kingskid1611]

Welcome to the party. It is interesting that it does look golden. I hope you can test that. Good Luck and Happy Hunting.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Might be a yellow brass nail shined by wave action/ But if it tests gold, the best explanation would be that someone made gold nails to smuggle gold without paying the tariffs. Please let us know if it tests gold. Here are some bronze nails:

View attachment 1305089

 

[baspinall]

Brass or bronze spike. Part of a ship probably would be my guess.


Shipwreck Wood With Brass Spike Preservation Question

 

[tamrock]

Could be gold spray paint on an old pitted iron spike.

 

[stillwater]

once I saw Baspinall's post, I was less skeptical. I think you found a chunk of an old ship that wrecked!

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

once I saw Baspinall's post, I was less skeptical. I think you found a chunk of an old ship that wrecked!

Its definitely from a shipwreck. I thought he was wondering why the spike looks so clean. Wave action will do that because I find shiny pennies in the surf but I have also heard of gold nails made by smugglers that didn't want to pay the kings tariffs.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Here is a piece of shipwreck wood I found on the Treasure Coast at a known 1715 shipwreck site in the surf after a hurricane. It didnt have a spike but the hole remains and the entire piece has turned to iron sulphide and was preserved. It also has worm holes from the Caribbean. http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/95456-petrified-wood-underwater.html

 

[Glenn1of12]

Thanks everyone for the welcome messages.
The shininess of the stake is really surprising because I thought it would be extremely corroded for being in the water for such a long time. If you can look closer, it looks like there was one next to it. I tested it to see if it was magnetic and it's not. I can only hope its gold! haha! I wish!

It definitely looks like a part of a ship. I was hoping that there could be someone I could reach out to that has a knowledge of shipwrecks off of New Jersey. Maybe they could help with the information about the stake.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Bruce R]

Old sailing ships were often built using brass and copper nails in the area of the powder magazine to prevent sparks that could ruin the whole trip.