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Lead Cross - Idea on Approximate Age?

angellionel

Elite Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2006
Messages
2,223
Location
Western MA
I found the following during the summer at a beach. It's an old and heavy lead cross with the Star of David(?), some markings and what appears to be a date etched on it. Unfortunately, the last digits have eroded away. Any ideas as to the era? Perhaps not old at all? I'm not really into relics, so hopefully the experts on relics can provide some insight. Thanks for any info offered.

Angel

Front and back -
cross.jpg


Larger side view of the back -
cross2.jpg
 
I'm definitely no expert. I'm surprised that the lead hasn't oxidized more. Usually when I dig up old musket balls they're white. I suppose your cross may not be pure lead though. Very interesting. It's possible it belonged to a Christian Jew.
 
It does look and "feel" like lead, though you may be right about it not being completely so, also that it may have belonged to a Christian Jew. I did clean it up some too. :)
 
Maybe those are Hebrew characters? What if it's made of pewter?
 
That's what I thought, though only the first character seems to be so. I hadn't thought about pewter...a good candidate.
 
Looks like the kind of metal that old toy guns (cap guns) were made of. I've found several and they all looked similar and were deeply eroded much like your cross... at any rate cool find.. keep diggin
 
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