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Need A Little ID Help


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I was down in northern Nevada this week for some nugget hunting. All I found were two large, what appears to be, copper nuggets. But, the interior color is more silvery, or gray, than copper-colored. The nuggets I found last fall down there looked like a bright penny on the interior. These two have a black skin on the outside, and when filed away it shows a metallic gray. No attraction to a super magnet. They were both down about 10", and the small one was under a large rock. They were about 300 yards apart in the same drywash. The exposed metal leaves a coppery streak. The black skin leaves a dark gray, or nearly black streak. No way to get a specific gravity...my gem scale doesn't go high enough. Both were found the same morning with my TDI SL, with MJ 8 x12 FM. Weak, but repeatable signal. had to drag a 16" rock off the small one. Appreciate any help.

Jim

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Looks very interesting, but more beautiful than the rocks I find.

I have no idea what they are but would like to find out also.

Thanks for sharing!

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2 hours ago, donP said:

Manganese Nodule?

Don't know, Don. You can see pieces of copper embedded in the matrix metal, whatever it is.

Jim

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1 hour ago, klunker said:

 The prize goes to WesD

Don't know. certainly there are probably both on the surface. in fact, the black skin could definitely be malachite, but these are solid metal...not mineral. The metal is harder than brass, but softer than tool steel. It's a copper alloy, with nearly pure copper inclusions, if that helps.

Jim

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Ask Chris Ralph and get it shot with a  IR.

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Once I get caught up on the chores I neglected while prospecting, the first thing I'm going to do is get it shot with an XRF gun if the scrap metal place cooperates.

Jim

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