| Author |
 Replies: 8 / Views: 2,480 |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1267 Posts |
Greetings, Here are some finds I've made over the past week or so. These are all from the backyard of our house in near the BadLands of South Dakota, it (the house) was built back in the 1920's. I've pulled some decent 1930ish-58 wheat back cents and a couple of silver dimes/quarters along with the usual pull-tabs, nails, and ballpoint pen clips... I think these items were lost by the carpenters who built the place as most of them wer under a BIG Elm Tree where they would have set up their saw-horses and the prior home owners thru the years. We purchased it in 1987 and found there were two other families who lived here. The mystery piece is the large lead(?) chunk which weighs 5lbs. Thanks for looking Ben    |
|
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
597 Posts |
My guess is that the lead was meant to be used in the construction of the house for soldering etc.
My kids each bought a metal detector last month and did the same thing, they found nothing exciting coin wise, other than a few 1960's+ pennies. But they found several items, tools, nails etc. that probably date from the construction of the house back in 1933. One of the tools is a large iron spoon shaped thing that looks like it was for melting lead for some purpose or another.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
2335 Posts |
I'm about 99% sure that lead chunk was lost by the plumbers. They generally came 4 or 5(I forget how many) of those cast together, with a "D" handle made of lead. When running cast iron sewer pipe, oakum (a kind of "tarred rope") was wedged into each hub that joined the pipe or fittings; lead was then poured into the hub to seal the joint.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
2335 Posts |
The large iron spoon thing might be a lead ladle, used for dipping the molten solder out of the melt pot.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
 United States
1267 Posts |
Thanks guys. Here is my best find ever... I dug this silver dollar from around the foundation of an old stagecoach stop in the BuffaloGap National Grasslamds near Fairburn, SD. I was out because the 7 looked like a 5 at first, then the dirt clod fell away. I was still stoked though,  LOL...  |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
I could read the headlines now "They Do Exist, 1895 Morgan dollar dug From a foundation of old stagecoach stop" |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
597 Posts |
My house must have had iron pipe at one time, but it was all removed back ca. 1970's. But yes it was common up until then, and a PAIN to work with(I was a plumber for a year after High School. I hated old houses, for the iron pipes and the cast brass water heaters.
|
|
Valued Member
United States
335 Posts |
I have a couple of those lead thingies
|
|
Pillar of the Community
 United States
2703 Posts |
Since it says "Seaby Pile Bolts" on it, maybe it was meant to be placed at the foot of a heavy vertical support beam (pile) in the basement during construction of a new house?
|
| |
Replies: 8 / Views: 2,480 |
|
Posted 08/09/2007 3:16 pm
