Unknown Specimem?

I have just been out and tried my GPX 4500 and found alot of rusty nails and, bullets ect but today I found two nugget looking specimems but not sure as to what they might be. Together they weigh 55gms are pale yellow on outside but look to be silver in colour as well. Thinking might be lead as one is rounded on back. I have links to photos on photo bucket they are as follows.

https://2img.net/h/i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac94/dagsaussie/Find1.jpg
https://2img.net/h/i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac94/dagsaussie/Find2.jpg

Your thoughts would be appriciated

Regards
Dags

G'day Dags

Good luck with your new machine, get to know it well, they are a great machine.

"Nugget looking specimens" in the photo could well be old musket balls a bit out of shape after hitting the ground or whatever. Just give em a scratch and get through the outer coating ( like an oxide) and you will know for sure. I mostly just rub them across the blade of the pick out in the field, and you then know straignt away that its only lead.

They sure give a good sound though and your always gonna dig em and every now and then one just may turn out to be a 45 gram nugget. thats what happened to me anyway

cheers dave

Dags,

Dave is spot on. Lead. Mongrel stuff but unavoidable in most places.
The old timers used to fire off their artillery in the evening to clear any moisture from their load and to serve as a warning to would-be robbers that they were well armed. So... 10000 miners on a strike. 10000 musket ball and bullets per day. STREWTH!!! I reckon I've dug up half of 'em. You can do the rest if you want

Robert

Thanks for the replies yeah my gut was telling me this would be the case although when you get a faint target and the more you dig the louder it gets and you pull a dirty faint yellow nugget out of the ground your heart stops for a second. Well back to the fields it is although a dirty old muskett ball has it's own piece of history which is quite amazing in its own right, I want the shiny stuff!!!!!!


Regards

Dags

Dags, going by the weight of the two they are more likely to be solid shotgun slugs, may stand corrected however don't believe musket balls weighed any where near 27g?

Peter

Hi All
Could it be antimony/ stibnite, a mate just found 6 or so in NQ, I found a teardrop nugget 4-5g all black ( gee that gave me an idea does any kiwi's out there want to buy an ALL BLACK nugget ) I think its antimony, I will try to put up a photo.
cheers
Lee

I have taken some more photos this is the reverse side of them, the links are below thanks every one for your thoughts and opinions.

https://2img.net/h/i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac94/dagsaussie/reversesidefind1.jpg
https://2img.net/h/i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac94/dagsaussie/reversesidefind2.jpg
https://2img.net/h/i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac94/dagsaussie/reversesidefind3.jpg


Regards

Dags

musket balls

Good day All.
I reckon they are fossilized kangaroo droppings
Cheers Greg

Hi Dags.

Judging by your photos,I would have to say musket balls. But if in doubt,scratch and find out.


Happy Prospecting.

hi dags
they are musket balls you can still see the line around the midle from the casting where it came out of the mould
sorry not gold