My first find... and as a newbie I am puzzled...

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Golden Ant

Golden Ant

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Hi guys.

Brand new to the world of metal detecting and my first post on this forum.
As I am a rather boring person I won't bore you with details about me but share this find and let you destroy my dream having found a piece of gold the first day of detecting..

So here it goes:
Purchased a Minelab 705 and gave it a go with basic settings near a old ruined house. After a couple of beer bottle caps I found a peace of interesting looking metal. After removing the dirt it is shining at me.. But what is it? Gold? Brass? Out of this world? Who knows? Ah well, probably you guys..

It is heavy for its size. Around 63 gramm. It does look like it is mixed with other material. One side is very straight and looks like it was melted and poured into a form. The other side looks fairly rough. Using a strong magnet it just sticks at the parts that look like iron. The golden shinny side is barely holding on to it and I guess it is the other material that affects the whole piece. With pliers I can form the thin bits that look gold.

So here is a picture.

1465870295_gold.jpg


The local Jewellery stores cant help as they are just sales people with no interest in helping out or giving me tips..
So before I head out to a proper Jeweller who learned his profession I would be interested in your thoughts.

Fire away and don't be shy to ruin my day :)

Thanks guys!
 
BigWave said:
Are the gold areas conductive using an ohmmeter?
How about its weight?
Click to expand...

It shows next to no resistance with the multimeter.. (In saying that I hope I did it right... :) )

Weight is just over 2 ounces. It is roughly 35mm x 20mm x 10mm...
 
Chewy said:
Could be gold ore.....ore something else. Lol it does sound intriguing though. :)
Click to expand...

Gold ore sounds better than brass.. :) And my face was exactly like your avatar when I found it... :)
 
It looks like brass, google specific gravity test and try that as well, brass has an SG of up to 8.7 so if you get significantly higher than that mmm, if there is lead in it that might take it higher to around 11 depending on the lead content - investigate further and get a bit excited if above that of lead. Common materials listed below and their SG.

Cheers
Barry

ABS, extrusion grade 1.05
ABS, high impact 1.03
Acetal, 20% glass 1.55
Acetal, copolymer 1.41
Acetyl, homopolymer 1.41
Acrylic 1.19
Alumina 3.4 - 3.6
Aluminum min. 2.55
Aluminum max. 2.8
Aluminum Bronze 7.8
Andesite, solid 2.8
Antimony 6.69
Asbestos, cement board 1.4
Asbestos, mill board 1.0
Asbestos, shredded 0.3 - 0.4
Asbestos, rock 1.6
Asphalt 1.1
Asphaltum 1.4
Azdel 1.19
Bakelite, solid 1.4
Bark 0.25
Barite 4.5
Barium 3.62
Barium sulfate 4.5
Basalt, broken 1.95
Basalt solid 3.0
Beeswax 0.95
Bentonite 2.4
Beryllium 1.848
Bismuth 9.79
Borax min. 1.7
Borax min. 1.8
Boron 2.32
Brass, cast rolled 8.4 - 8.7
Brick, common red 1.75
Brick, fire clay (firebrick) 2.4
Brick, hard 2.0
Brickwork, in cement 1.8
Brickwork, in mortar 1.6
Brickwood, in cement 1.8
Brickwood, in mortar 1.6
Bronze aluminum 7.7
Bronze phosphor 8.88
Bronze, 7.9 - 14% Sn 7.4 - 8.9
Cadmium 8.65
Calcium 4.58
Calcium carbonate 2.7
Carbon, solid 2.1
Carbon, powdered 0.08
Cement 1.2 - 1.5
Cement, Portland (set) 3.1
Cerium 6.77
Cesium 1.873
Chalk 2.3
Charcoal, wood 0.4
Chromium 7.19
Chromium dioxide (Cr203) 5.22
Clay min. 1.8
Clay max. 2.6
Coal, anthracite 1.5
Coal, bitumious 1.2
Coal, slag 2.7
Cobalt 8.71
Concrete, ligth 1.4
Concrete, stone 2.2
Corkboard 0.2
Copper 8.89
CPVC 1.55
Diamond 3.51
Dolomite rock 2.9
Dysprosium 8.55
Earth, dry 1.4
Emery 4.0
Epoxy 1.8
Erbium 9.066
Europium 5.244
Ferrosilicon - 15% 6.7 - 7.1
Fiberboard, ligth 0.24
Fiber hardboard 1.1
Fiber glass sheet 1.87
Flint stones / pebbles 2.4 - 2.6
Gadolinium 7.9
Gallium 5.91
Germanium 5.32
German silver 8.58
Glass min. 2.4
Glass max. 2.8
Glass beads 2.5
Glass crystal min. 2.9
Glass crystal max. 3
Glass plate min. 2.45
Glass plate max. 2.72
Gold, 22 carat fine1) 17.5
Gold, pure 19.32
Gold, US coin1) 17.18 - 17.2
Granite min. 2.4
Graphite 2.07
Gypsum, solid 2.8
Gypsum, board 0.8
Hafnium 13.31
Hairfelt 0.1
Hematite 5.2
Holmium 8.795
Hornblende 3
Ice (0oC, 32oF) 0.92
Ilmenite 4.5- 5.0
Indium 7.31
Iodine 4.93
Iridium min. 21.78
Iridium max. 22.42
Iron cast min. 7.03
Iron cast max. 7.13
Iron carbonate 3.9 +
Iron slag 2.7
Iron wrought min. 7.6
Iron wrought max. 7.9
Lanthanum 6.17
Leather, dry 0.9
Limestone min. 2.1
Limestone max. 2.86
Lead 11.35
Lead ore, galena 7.3 - 7.6
Lead oxide (yellow) 9.5 - 9.9
Leather 0.95
Limestone 2.6
Lithium 0.53
Lutetium 9.84
Magnesite 3
Magnetite 3.2
Manganese 7.21 - 7.44
Manganese ore, pyrolusite 3.7 - 4.6
Magnesium 1.738
Marble min. 2.6
Marble max. 2.86
Masonry 2.4
Mercury 13.534
Mica 2.7
Mineral wool blanket 0.1
Molybdenum 10.22
Monel metal, rolled 8.97
Mortar 1.5
Mullite beads 2.8
Neodymium 7.00
Nickel 8.90
Niobium (Columbium) 8.57
Nylon 6 Cast 1.16
Nylon 6/6, Cast 1.30
Nylon 6/6, Extruded 1.14
Nylon 60L, Cast 1.16
Oak, red 0.7
Osmium 22.57
Paper 0.9
Palladium 12.02
Paraffin wax 0.9
PET, unfilled 1.36
Phenolics 1.38
Phosphorus 1.8
Plaster, light 0.7
Plaster, sand 1.8
Plaster of Paris 1.8
Plastics, foamed 0.2
Plastics, solid 1.2
Platinum 21.45
Plutonium 19.84
Polycarbonate 1.19
Polyethylene, HD 0.97
Polyethylene, UHMW 0.94
Polyethermide 1.27
Polyphenylene Sulfide 1.30
Polymethylpentene 0.83
Polymid, unfilled 1.41
Polypropylene 0.91
Polysulfone 1.25
Polyurethane 1.05
Porcelain 2.5
Potassium 0.86
Praseodymium 6.77
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) 2.19
PVC 1.39
PVDF 1.77
Quartz min. 2.5
Quartz max. 2.8
Rhenium 21.02
Rhodium 12.41
Rubidium 1.532
Ruthenium 12.45
Salt 2.2
Samarium 7.52
Sand, silica 2.6
Sand, quartz 1.2
Sandstone min. 2
Sandstone max. 2.6
Sawdust 0.15
Selenium 4.28
Scandium 2.989
Serpentine min. 2.7
Selenium 4.8
Serpentine max. 2.8
Sialon 3.26
Silica aerogel 0.11
Silicon 2.33
Silicon carbide 3.1
Silicon nitride 3.2
Silver 10.50
Silver, German 8.58
Slate 2.8
Soapstone 2.7
Sodium 0.968
Steatite beads 2.6 - 2.7
Steel, 440C stainless 7.7
Steel, carbon 7.8
Steel, chrome 7.8
Steel, cold-drawn 7.83
Steel, machine 7.80
Steel, tool 7.70 - 7.73
Strontium 2.64
Sulfur 2.0
Talc min. 2.6
Talc max. 2.8
Tantalium 16.69
Tar, bituminous 1.2
Tellurium min. 6
Tellurium max. 6.24
Thallium 11.85
Thorium 11.7
Thulium 9.32
Tile 1.8
Tin 7.31
Tin ore, cassiterite 6.4 - 7.0
63 Sn & 37 Pb 8.42
10 Sn & 90 Pb 10.50
Titanium 4.506
Titanium dioxide, Anatase 3.77
Trap rock 3.0
Tungsten 19.22
Tungsten carbide 14.29
Uranium 18.8
Vanadium 5.96
Vermiculite 0.13
Vinyl ester 1.8
Water 1.0
White metal 7.3
Wood, balsa 0.16
Wood, oak 0.7
Wood, white pine 0.5
Wood, felt 0.3
Wood, loose 0.1
Wool 1.32
Ytterbium 6.97
Yttrium 4.47
Zinc, cast-rolled 6.9 - 7.2
Zinc blend min 3.9
Zinc blend max 4.2
Zinc min. 6.9
Zinc max. 7.2
Zirconium 6.506
Zirconium silicate 3.85
 
Golden Ant said:
BigWave said:
Are the gold areas conductive using an ohmmeter?
How about its weight?
Click to expand...

It shows next to no resistance with the multimeter.. (In saying that I hope I did it right... :) )

Weight is just over 2 ounces. It is roughly 35mm x 20mm x 10mm...
Click to expand...

So - based on the physical size it would displace roughly 7 grams of water so 64mg/7 makes it an SG of around 9 (close to brass)

errr I think I calculated that right....

cheers
 
Thanks a million for all the input folks, much appreciated.

I will get some more pictures up and will give the SG test a go.

Even if it is just a piece of brass, I have learnt a lot already on this site so it is all worth it :)
 
A simple streak test will also give you a good indication of what type of metal it is, without all the complicated equations and testing. Just use the back of an old ceramic tile, and rub a small section of the metal on it to see what streak is left on the tile. If it is brown to black, it won't be gold and more likely brass (copper/zinc alloy), gold in its natural state will only leave a gold metallic streak. :)
 
How did you go? if your still unsure polish a smooth corner on a white clean rag with a little brasso if it comes of grey/black and smells of metal its brass, to me it looks like a excess pour off from an old blacksmith maybe bronze. :(
 
It looks like it's been spray painted with gold spray paint . More photos would be useful. However the powdered gold texture on the left isn't consistent with the shiny top
 
And maybe try to scratch it deep with a sharp screwdriver, gold is softer than bronze and brass, and spray paint will flake off easily.
 
Hi guys.

Thanks for all the help and input.

Definitely not sprayed painted.

After trying the streak test the hopes were up as it was of golden color. But the SG test revealed what it is.

Not the gold find I was hoping for. :) With a SG of around 7.7 it fits the bill and description of Manganese Bronze.

Color: Bright Gold. Fluidity: Fairly Good. Pouring Temperature: 1700F-2100F. Sold in 2" cut bar form. Manganese Bronze is a gold color base metal alloy that can be centrifugally cast. The color of Manganese Bronze closely matches that of 14K yellow gold and is therefore widely used for 14K gold sample lines. Sold by the pound.

1465973548_gold2.jpg


Well, still happy with it as it was an exiting ride the last days.

Today I have found a couple of large softer metal pieces that have been melted probably in a bush fire. Looks like lead when the surface is scratched off. But the SG is 10.3 which does not fit lead. And I think it is too soft for silver. Shaves off easily with a knife. We will test further :)

Well I certainly learn a lot new things with that hobby.
 

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