First timer (junk?)

[wkkeith]

My wife bought me a metal detector for Christmas and I finally had an opportunity to use for 15 minutes today (I have played w/ it in the backyard only). I went to a site that I had researched quite a bit and new the area very well. There once was a small town there founded in 1806 according to the net and I even found an artists rendering which helped me get started. I am a history junky and believe this to be a spoon from the Civil War era, it is very thin and I know there was a skirmish in this area. My question is - do you guys think this is a civil war era spoon or not? I can't tell if the chain is, it looks like a watch or something was once on it. I can only guess that the other piece I found is a spent mini ball of some sort made out of lead (even though it is white). I want to go back when I have a couple more hours to spend since I spent little effort and found some stuff that is at least very cool to me. Thanks.

 

[ThatCannonballGuy]

Wkkeith wrote:
>I can only guess that the other piece I found is a spent mini ball of some sort made out of lead (even though it is white).

As VaBill noted, EXCAVATED lead which is really old ought to have white-ish patina (oxide) on it.

Why? Well, let's put it this way:
Most types of metal that are exposed to weather in the dirt for multiple decades will "rust" - meaning, oxidize. Iron oxide is orange, copper/brass oxide is green, pewter oxide is grey, and lead oxide is white. Iron oxidizes veryvery quickly, but lead oxidizes veryvery slowly. Thus, we relic-hunters can often distinguish an excavated modern-era bullet from a 19th-century one by observing the amount of lead oxide on it.

Regards,
TheCannonballGuy

 

[VaBill]

n/t