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Post by snowmom on May 26, 2014 14:35:00 GMT -5
I went rock picking in an area where trees have been removed along the road and brought new gravel and stones to the surface today. My most interesting find among all the glacier worn till was this piece of metal. It is not magnetic. It is too heavy to be aluminum, it is easily scratched by a steel knife, but not by a copper penny. It leaves a very very dark grey streak. A little scrubbing left it very bright and shiny on the flat side, see shiny areas in the photo, but it was dull dark grey when I found it. even if we can identify it, I have no idea what I'd do with it. guess it was a leaverite, but sometimes you don't figure that out til its too late!
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Post by mohs on May 26, 2014 15:12:49 GMT -5
I wouldn't say it was leaverite
metallic bearing rocks are clues
perhaps it slag form a refinery?
or its galena or some type of zinc oxide ?
red streak would be hematite
I think ....
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2014 16:11:29 GMT -5
The flatter back also had me wondering if it might be slag or a splash from smelting. If it isn't scratched by a copper penny, I doubt lead or galena. It could be chalcopyrite (streak is dark gray to greenish gray) or some other sulfide. I wouldn't have left it behind. It will be fun tracking down and make a nice specimen. There is a table of characteristics for many metallic minerals here. |
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,718 
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Post by Fossilman on May 26, 2014 16:29:40 GMT -5
I never leave anything behind! I have a rock garden and junk garden...Can always go back to the gardens to retrieve finds,but usually not the sites you left it at...
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Post by snowmom on May 26, 2014 17:57:02 GMT -5
when I handed it to my spouse I told him I thought it might be pewter. I don't think this is its natural state,
I think somebody either threw something in a fire or maybe spilled molten metal. Just odd that there was nothing else around except thoroughly modern trash (plastic bottles, broken glass in places not near where I found this)
There is a campground on the road so maybe somebody disposed of some ashes at some point and this remained.
I will have to look to see how pewter compares in hardness to lead. This was Native American territory for a long time and they were known for their copper mining, I don't know what else they melted down to use for tools.
This doesn't look like it came through with glacial moraine does it? My guess is it got into that melted state
somewhere close to where I found it. Might have been a camp or cabin or maybe left by loggers in the late 1800's.
Too interesting to speculate on the possibilities. I will leave it with my other stuff for now. Meantime
going to try to find out what the mohs hardness of pewter is.... thanks guys!
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Post by mohs on May 26, 2014 18:49:08 GMT -5
your thinking is mmoooooooohhsssss definitely rock'n!!
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bentiron
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since September 2011
Posts: 85
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Post by bentiron on May 27, 2014 17:13:34 GMT -5
Modern pewter is mostly tin which is very soft, about like lead, it could be babbit material used in old time bearings, zinc is somewhat harder than either lead, tin or aluminum, another option of something thrown into a campfire. It definitely is a melt and not a natural occurring native metal as by the smooth top surface and the bottom surface conforming to the soil. Scrub it up with an old tooth brush and dish washing soap to give it a better look.
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Post by snowmom on May 28, 2014 4:46:44 GMT -5
It is not flexible, if I had to guess, it might be towards the brittle side, though to have made it through the bulldozer treatment on the side of the road it has to have a certain toughness. I think some of that stuff is stuck right into the metal, I used a pot scrubber on it, but of course a toothbrush will reach into little crevices and probably dislodge a lot more of that dirt. I hadn't thought about tin... It seems way too heavy to be aluminum and just not right color or feel. thanks for the input!
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bentiron
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since September 2011
Posts: 85
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Post by bentiron on May 28, 2014 18:25:28 GMT -5
Tin is very soft and easily bends, that's why you find so many dents in pewter mugs.
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Post by snowmom on May 29, 2014 5:03:36 GMT -5
worldnewsdailyreport.com/usa-viking-artefacts-discovered-near-great-lakes/this is 45 minutes from my house. Maybe it is vikiing bronze LOL! seriously, this is such a cool discovery! the site is not named for obvious reasons, I expect some local people know about it, and now the articles have all been removed and the find publicized it Is just a matter of a short time before treasure hunters descend on the area. watching with interest.
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bentiron
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since September 2011
Posts: 85
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Post by bentiron on May 29, 2014 18:01:45 GMT -5
Next time you go out rock hounding take a metal detector and see if you can find some more metal. A friend of mine uses one to find gold nuggets in dry streams here in Arizona, he has found some nice small ones and one large enough to set in a pendant. I don't know where you are located but if east of the Mississippi you may turn up some more interesting artifacts.
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Post by snowmom on May 31, 2014 19:55:10 GMT -5
there are metal hounds up here everywhere, far more of those than rock hounds, though this is the fossil capital of the state (not counting Petoskey and the famous Petoskey stones). I would have plenty of competition in the metal hunting department, that's for sure. Those metal detectors come in handy though, locating pipes underground, electric lines, and surveyors stakes... : )
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Post by mohs on May 31, 2014 22:16:43 GMT -5
darn the link is not initializing
could you give a summary ?
Pre-Columbian ocean travelof possible visits to the America's interest me
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Post by mohs on May 31, 2014 22:20:24 GMT -5
 now it works  that's a head scratcher |
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,049
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Post by gemfeller on May 31, 2014 22:46:19 GMT -5
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dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on May 31, 2014 22:54:25 GMT -5
Being from Michigan, could it possibly be silver? I know that in the UP, there are many copper deposites and with those come silver deposites mixed in also. That might explain the weight. Not sure about your piece but it would be worth inquiring about at a jewler or gold exchange shop.
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junglejim
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2014
Posts: 344
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Post by junglejim on Jun 1, 2014 0:18:46 GMT -5
I'm guessing tin or lead. I've poured thousands of fishing lures using these metals or combinations of the two. Fresh lead is shiny but after it sets awhile turns a dull gray color. This is just an opinion.
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Post by snowmom on Jun 1, 2014 6:13:06 GMT -5
dtcmor I am fairly confident it isn't silver. It wasn't oxidized like silver and it doesn't feel or look like silver -
junglejim Lead was my first thought but it is not flexible like lead this thin would/should be. pretty sure is some sort of alloy. Sooner or later i'll find somebody who can do testing on it. I am kinda enjoying the mystery around it at this point, especially in light of the finding of that Viking settlement so close to here!
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Post by mohs on Jun 1, 2014 11:58:08 GMT -5
as anyone mentioned galena ?
does add an element of excitement
with the recently (supposedly) found Viking artifacts
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Post by snowmom on Jun 2, 2014 18:04:15 GMT -5
gemfeller, that is the first thing I thought of! Sort of like mile markers on the highway! Isn't there a famous rune stone finding somewhere on the east coast too? It is going to be fascinating to hear more about this thing.
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