This is some kind of stake but.......

[bandroadman]

This is a very large and old tent stake. But, here is a little info background. I was working in a public park checking out a pick up ballfield and was detecting around where the pitchers mound would be. I was using my ATP and it rang up a 98-99 at 8 inches. Out comes the shovel and sure enough at 8 inches the top of the stake showed up. By now I had determined that it wasn't a coin by using my screwdriver but had no idea what it was. I finally got the top uncovered and pulled the thing out. It was in the ground like it had been driven into it and then had about 8 inches of soil covered over it. But, this is a very old park that has had very little work of that sort ever done on it.

So, I guess my question on this is this: Could it be anything other than a tent stake and if so, what?

Length is about 12 inches and the top is about 4 inches. It had obviously been in the ground a LONG time. After I uncovered it, it rang in as metal but before hand I was excited that I might have found a large silver. Oh well...

 

[flinthunter]

Too big for a tent stake.

Did you really use a shovel in a public park ball field?

 

[bandroadman]

Pick up ball field only. Nothing done to the field except mowing it a few times per season and overgrown now. No bases, no pitchers mound, no bleachers, only a small backstop. Not even any paths worn between bases. Very old and unused. Take down the backstop and it would look like a normal park field.

 

[flinthunter]

It's still a public park. The use of a shovel on public property gives people a very bad impression of metal detector users.

 

[bandroadman]

1. Plug filled properly. You couldn't tell it was there.
2. Checked with park supt. before digging. Had permission to dig.

 

[HuntinDog]

I think what you may have dug up is a mount on the mound for the pitcher's plate or pitcher's rubber.

That being said even with permission and a clean replaced plug the average public doesn't know you have permission and thinks you are tearing up the place.
so... even with permission I would still dig with my hand digger.

 

[glenn3-88]

Bandroadman,

To answer your question, and not judging you before knowing any details, this looks
like the pitchers mound plate anchor. Happy hunting and keep getting those permissions.

 

[bandroadman]

Thanks to all. I suspect that you are right about this being the anchor except for the fact that it was about 3 feet away and to the side from where the pitchers mound should be. And, there was really no pitchers mound. But I still think you are probably right.

 

[glenn3-88]

If the park is as old as you say and there was no mound evident could mean that
in their plans to make a park out of it they removed the mound, thus loosing the
anchor under the dirt in the process. You know how those guys are running a
bulldozer. My son does and he says you can't see where you're going but you
can see where you have been.!!