Confederate Lead Seal? Csa

Perhaps the hole was part of the melting process. It does look like two coins melted together. I suppose lead could be another possibility but, I don't believe so. I don't think that it would be double-sided for a seal. I don't have any particular websites to refer you to. I'm a huge Civil War buff and I do know that they did this. I'll see what I can find on-line for you.

Here's an article that's interesting. It doesn't mention the melting of coins together specifically but, it gives you an idea of what they used.

https://cdispatch.com/opinions/2021...war-mystery/

If you're really interested, here are a couple more articles...more than just gold were melted - to include Reales coins.

https://mainstreetcoin.com/how-the-...as-stolen/''

This one is a bit earlier but, still relevant:

https://coins.nd.edu/colcoin/colcoi...s.intro.html

Now you got me going again...

Way cool Keith12!

Interesting find!

It is a "seal" of sorts.
Lead seals were used for many purposes..a twisted wire or homemade cable would secure cargo then a lead washer would be flattened and impressed at the same time securing the bundle...in this case csa and star. Early uses included fur from trappers being sent overseas...textiles ...and even train boxcars in recent times. If a shipper secured his shipment with a lead seal and it was removed or messed with then the shipment was tampered with in transit.
Some old ones are really ornate


Here is one from my collection.


Old lead patina does resemble old silver patina in ways but it's good ole lead.

I seriously doubt that this item is silver. I'm thinking a lead/pot metal substance. I'd take it to a coin or jewelry dealer who has an XRF analyzer gun to get a breakdown of the metal(s).

Given its size, I suspect it may have been attached to a small pouch.

The single star suggests that it might have emanated from Texas, perhaps?

I'm not surprised to learn wherein it was found. A few years ago, a dealer-friend of mine, who frequently buys bulk lots of world coins and tokens, found a decent looking, G-VG 1794 Half Cent therein. I bought it .... He told me he'd previously found a VF copper-nickel Three Cent piece in a bag he bought.

I was just thinking that, on the side with the star, it appears to have a faint design and even "rays" on the edge. Plus there appears to be a rim edge in places. The Confederates did steal a lot of Reales and others to make their own "currency". They got desperate at the end of the war to survive. I guess it would depend what the "metal" is.

That's interesting too. Good luck in your search.

It is certainly a lead seal. The holes on opposite sides of the rim are a clear indication of this. And you can see bits of the "string" still stuck inside the edge of the seal.

However, I'm not entirely sure that "CSA" necessarily has anything to do with the Confederate States. I suspect it's just a coincidence, and it's just somebody's initials.

Lead seals were generally more informative of the actual owners of the goods being shipped; it's my understanding that while the Confederate Government itself did sometimes take direct ownership of goods running the Union blockade, they always did so under assumed names and foreign shell companies, to try to avoid seizure - so a lead seal proudly shouting "Made in the CSA" to all the world would not have been onboard.

Finally, of course... I'd have thought the Confederates needed all the lead they could get their hands on, for turning into ammunition. Putting chunks of lead onto bales of cotton or tobacco for exporting to Rome, would have been exporting somebody's bullets they could have been using to shoot at Yankees. The blockade-runners that were shipping the cotton outbound would, on the homeward leg, be bringing back war material vital to the war effort - things such as lead ingots.