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Unknown Metal dug in park

Rbnhood66

Junior Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2022
Messages
42
So, I have been waiting to post this due to the nature of the find, but thought I would post it in here so people can follow along on this. This is fairly in depth, so be patient.
I was digging in a park next to a botanical garden doing a surface search after a volley ball outing had been done the previous day in that park. My friends were doing the normal digging out in the park, I was just scanning where the tents and people had been. Had my Garrett ACE Apex set on just two bars for sensitivity, and on coin to tone out any junk which there is a lot of iron in this park. So I hit a solid tone, but it was bouncing. It was in the 83-90 range, but showing pretty deep for what I was doing. My curiosity got the best of me, so I went ahead and dug it up. It was about 8 inches deep, right under a tree root. You'll see from the pics, that it appeared to be aluminum. Right before I really got to digging, I was scanning to make sure I was over the right spot, and kept getting a bouncing signal. So I got it out, and realized it wasn't aluminum after a bit, because it was so hard, and the marks weren't from it being "folded" over. Took it over to my buddy, he couldn't figure it out, and his detector was coming in just under silver too. I took it to have it tested that afternoon, (It was a Sunday) and it wasn't silver. Intrigued, I started doing some looking on the web. A friend of mine asked me if it may be a nickel core from a space rock. I found a pic or two that kinda matched it, so I called down the the Museum of Nat Science here in the area and asked if they would look at it. The lady told me not to get too excited, it was probably just a piece of iron junk or something along those lines. I told her it didn't come close to sticking to a magnet, I tried that because I have some fishing magnets and it wouldn't stick to them. She said bring it on in, let them look at it. A geologist at the facility looked at is, and through his jewlers roule could see where it had seperated from it's parent object. He said whatever it was, it had been violently done at an extremely high velocity. He said it actually looked like a bomb fragment. We ruled out Civil war era, due to the color, and depth. Around here most things like this found in the park that were of that era are usually a tad shallower. We have a very large park that was an encampment and people dig up era pieces all the time. So I was thinking space junk, something along those lines. I jokingly asked if it was radioactive. He laughed, said more than likely 99.9 per cent not. But he would test it. Testing shows it WAS RADIOACTIVE. Not dangerous, but the signature was still there. To be sure, another piece of equipment was brought in and it was tested a little deeper. It was radioactive, and it was giving off a definitive signature. The young man testing it was perplexed, and he said he thought it was Tritium(sp?) or something like that. I asked what he was talking about and he said that was the casing on the Trinity bomb used in the Manhattan project. Ok, so now we are really wondering. At that time, a scientist from the museum was over looking into who in the area may have been involved with this, and we found a Dr. Robert Moon who was from Springfield, and whose parents lived here. They did a prelim test on the metal to see if they could determine what it was, and it came back negative. There are numerous theories, but now I have been in touch with a Physics lead at the local University. The metal is fixing to be tested under a gamma spectometer to see what the alloy is, where it was made, and what is giving off or holding the radiation. I will update this thread as I find out, but thought I would throw this out there. Very unique find right now, especially since no one knows what it is or might be at this time. I'll keep you guys posted on what we find out.
 

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The posts are not allowing me to upload more pictures. It is about three times the size of a quarter. The back side of it is really smooth. I'll try to post some more pics soon. It is about the weight between lead and aluminum. The metal is as hard as can be, and can't be manipulated by hand. The main theory is that it is a fragment of a bomb, probably left from a soldier or scientist. Whatever it is, is unknown at this time.
 
there's been many pieces like this that pop up on the forum that are usually melted metals from fire pits or even someone welding in a field for construction/farming. combinations from cans, lead, etc will cause it to seem to have different properties.

a good rule with the detector is not to put a ton of faith in what the numbers are. your detector is making a best guess and due to a number of conditions can be off in the reading. i have two different detectors and plenty of items that never matched what the detector thought they were.
 
Two things that stands out were that it was radioactive, and that the museum couldn't figure out what the metal was. The Dr at the University stated it was def worth looking into after he saw the pics. It may be ruled out as a piece of junk, but it being radioactive, has raised eyebrows. Plus a scan of the area again twice, hasn't come up with any more of it. It's fun trying to figure out what it is though. Also, I couldn't post a pic of the back of it. It is curled around, showing it was traveling at a very high rate of speed. The tears on the side you can see from a jewelers roule, which the geologist pointed out shows it was torn away from it's parent metal very violently.
 
There's a ton of what looks exactly like what you posted at a particular site I detected. Mine are also about the same size, flat on one side, and heavy.

The site had numerous houses and brothels from about 1900 to 1930, and all were destroyed in a fire.

Although the radioactive thing is a little odd.
 
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The radioactive part is what is throwing it off. Plus the range it gave on the second test showed it may be more than meets the eye.
 
Many airplane mechanics and hobbyist. who build real airplanes with the experimental aircraft association, get a piece of depleted uranium from someone, usually military, from a firing range. Tanks use depleted uranium projectiles in certain situations, . the little piece is used to help set the many rivets in an airplane as a dead weight backing to rivet against. it will be slightly radioactive and i have heard thru old pilots that using it after a while you can feel you fingers go numb. its heavier than lead they say, tough stuff. they said any aircraft Mech old school worth his salt has a piece squirreled away.

it could be depleted uranium. the high speed remark would fit with a tank fired projectile. i would not mess with it.
 
Well the level is safe right now, I checked that. Interesting theory though. But one thing, why would it be where it is? One theory is, is that a soldier brought it home or lifted it, was afraid he would get caught and buried it. This area after the war was the further limit of the city, so it may have been the outskirts. Or my theory was he got sick after having it (we had a discussion about how radioactive it would have been when it was exposed at the museum) and he buried it. Right now we just have to find out what it is to proceed. I am going to look into your theory a little closer.
 
Those are just molten aluminum can cr*p globules, that come from when people throw aluminum cans onto camp fires and BBQ pit grills. The cans melt down into "nuggets".

Yes they can appear to be heavier than aluminum. But that's because we're not used to handling/feeling aluminum in molten condensed form.

If you still disagree, and think they're some sort of precious metal or valuable : I know a beach near me where I can get hundreds of those, any day I choose. I will gladly sell you these for $10 each. Friends and family discount :cool:
 
Also, it was tested for it to be aluminum, and it wasn't. I agree it could look like that, and maybe it will be. But right now, it shouldn't be radioactive and has been tested more than once to prove it was.
 
Ok Tom, explain why it is radioactive then? Listening....

"Radioactive" to what measured level? Almost everything can be a little due to other factors, the machines can cause enough error to produce some levels, or misuse of the equipment by an operator, the ground you pulled it from etc. There's a lot of experience here and this is a common sight to them. No one is hating on your find, but giving you more practical ideas to what it is.
 
"Radioactive" to what measured level? Almost everything can be a little due to other factors, the machines can cause enough error to produce some levels, or misuse of the equipment by an operator, the ground you pulled it from etc.

That's exactly what I was going to post, but then thought, "Meh", let's see if someone else will post it. Thanks :)

If the item was anywhere near and true "radioactive" they wouldn't have given it back.
 
Also, I did ask about this. Aluminum doesn’t just absorb radiation- it blocks them it the moment the waves make contact. In general, radiation is broken down into two main categories: ionizing and non-ionizing. Radiation is ionizing if it has enough energy to knock an atom’s electrons out of orbit. It is non-ionizing, then, if it lacks the energy necessary to do that. Because aluminum is a conductive material, it is quite effective at deflecting EMF radiation, provided there are no holes for it to slip through. RF-EMFs, ELF-EMFs, and even microwave radiation can be blocked by aluminum. In fact, aluminum is used inside many modern microwaves to help stop non-ionizing radiation from leaking out.

So based upon what we have learned, is that if this "contains" aluminum, it isn't the only metal or alloy in this piece of metal. There is something else in the metal that has absorbed and retained radiation. The gamma tester will tell what that metal is.
 
It was a def signal, and another piece of equipment was brought in to verify it. It gave off the signature that the operator found very unusual. Let's put it this way, a test of the ground is fixing to be done to make sure there isn't any radiation that is unknown in the area for safety's sake. I don't know about readings, I deferred that to the university. And provided him with a video of the metal being tested with the machine at the time. The Physist at the college thought there is enough to go off of to test it further. I am being really careful here and not getting my hopes up on anything, and am open to anything just because it is a learning experience to figure out what it is. However, academics outside my paygrade think there may be something to it, and don't mind looking into it for curiosities sake. That was the whole point of my post. And why I was leary of posting it to begin with. Till I knew more anyway.
 
Either way, it will be interesting to find out exactly what it is. Please keep us updated :)
 
"Radioactive" to what measured level? Almost everything can be a little due to other factors, ...

That's exactly what I was going to post, but then thought, "Meh", let's see if someone else will post it. Thanks :) ....

There was a fellow in my area who had several of these molten nugget/shrapnel off of a certain beach here. And was adamant that they were "molten silver" (or silver nuggets or whatever). I tried to tell him they were just molten aluminum nuggets, but ...... he would not be dissuaded.

So I made him an offer : If he is certain that they're silver nuggets, then I would gladly well him a shoe box full at $10 each (what a deal ! ). For some strange reason, he declined my generous offer :roll:
 
And I am taking everything anyone offers here sincerely, LOL. Just want you guys to know what has been found out so far. I haven't even gotten into what some theories are, just because they are out there a little. One reason there is belief here that a soldier may have brought it back somewhere as a souvenir, is that there was a very large military "hospital or treatment center" here for returning soldiers to recover at. Trust me, I am open to anything. And am looking to see if there is more to the burnt can thing. There is no area in this part of the park though that a fire should have been at however.
 
There was a fellow in my area who had several of these molten nugget/shrapnel off of a certain beach here. And was adamant that they were "molten silver" (or silver nuggets or whatever). I tried to tell him they were just molten aluminum nuggets, but ...... he would not be dissuaded.

So I made him an offer : If he is certain that they're silver nuggets, then I would gladly well him a shoe box full at $10 each (what a deal ! ). For some strange reason, he declined my generous offer :roll:

I don't think it is silver, that is for sure, LOL. I am looking deeper into your theory though. I did look at some pics. Just so you know, whatever this metal is, it is very, very, very hard to mark or manipulate. From what I have read, you can at least scratch the surface of molten aluminum, This you can't. And I wish I could show you the back of it. It is just as smooth as a baby's bottom. Just curled over at the sides. Also I can't post a pic of where it was torn from it's parent part. You can see it in a jewelers glass.
 
it is very, very, very hard to mark or manipulate. From what I have read, you can at least scratch the surface of molten aluminum, This you can't. And I wish I could show you the back of it. It is just as smooth as a baby's bottom. Just curled over at the sides.

That describes my blobs perfectly.

The flatness on one side indicates it melted somehow, then cooled on a fairly flat surface (like the ground).
 
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