What is it?

[Tony Teixeira]

Hey everyone,

Missed detecting so I am trying once again to get back into it, went out yesterday for the first time in 4 months, found a part of a dry stream that had some small pilings in areas around it and worked it, I came to a spot with some plant growth and found this nugget, not sure what it is, maybe you can help.

#1. Found on a stream bed.

#2. Had a halo effect around it.

#3. Tried to scrape with a knive, the grey became shinier.

#4. Hit with a hammer, (easy) and the rust deposits started to fall off. Under the rust deposits it is kinda like grey crystal.

#5. Heavy .... weighs 19 grams, much heavier than the rocks it's size in that area.

#6. A magnet will attach to it.

Any ideas, I know there was alot of lode mining in this area.

[adam]

Good question.

At first it looks like Galena, but you said that you detected it ,and it attaches to a magnet which rules out galena. Lead is out due to the magnet thing.

The rust thing is interesting too.

My guess would be an old beat up steel ball from a Ball Mill...just a guess

later..

adam

[Guest Bunk]

Tony, I am no expert but could it be a meteorite?

Bunk

[nuggethunting]

Hey Tony,

I would say some type of iron fragment since it will attach to a magnet. Like Bunk stated, you can never rule out a meteorite.

There are so many unidentified pieces of metal out there.

Let us know what you find out.

Rob Allison

[whats4supper]

iron pyrite or lode stone. if not that, maybe Mariposa gold.

hey, sooner or later I gotta hit, Right?

[enigmatic]

Do a streak test with a unglazed tile. If it comes out pencil lead gray is Galena...silver is silver...

[Curley]

Antimony.

Curley

[enigmatic]

Antimony streaks black...

[Tony Teixeira]

Quite a few folks agreed with Rob on it being cast iron.

I smacked it with a hammer, (only because I was confident it was cast iron), for I found a 1 lb piece just like it the next day in the same area......after I smacked it the inside looks like those cast iron dumbells when they break.

I would.nt know what a meteorite or Galena look like, but I would'nt mind some of that Mariposa Gold.

Thanks Guys!

Tony Teixeira

[gef12]

ye interesting find. My thoughts are that it is a meteorite... since it has that type of lustre and attracted to magnet

checked it out with a geo