Have tried before, but now I have a much better camera so I'll try again. Found this one on a beach in east France with bunkers nearby. As you can see on one of the pictures, its diameter is around 89 mm. - Should I try to remove the layer of rust? I have thought about it, but I don't want to risk destroying it. - 89 mm. Maybe it's one of these?: Page Title
Just a wild guess and im sure im not correct but, it looks like the top part of a Tellermine. I've seen some tellermines at a guuys house about 10 years ago and this is what it reminds me of. Like I say, im sure im wrong though-just a wild guess.
I think the top part of a Tellermine 43 is too big to be my relic. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Tellermine_43_MN_2007.JPG But thanks!
I would have been with Mr. Evans on this one, though I too am no expert. As to the rust, you might want to check with your local colleges archaeology department or your local museum. They might be able to give you some professional advice on how to clean it up. Not knowing what it is, you might want to be careful. A couple of weeks ago, a memorabilia dealer was killed messing around with Civil War ordinance. David
I don't have a local college archaeology department or a local museum. This has always been my guess since the diameter is 89 mm: http://www.geocities.com/mr-bigg@sbcglobal.net/151b.JPG
Wow I'm confused now. I would never have found this one . And yes, always be careful, sometimes it's hard to see if it's dangerous .
Woops, that's what happens when you don't read enough. Searched for 88mm round and that was one of the hits, so I put two and two together a little too quick. It's possible it's just some thing from a ship and have lied in the water for a long time (It has stones and shells attached to it.) Dangerous? Could it be dangerous just cracking the rust layer and remove it?
Well I removed most of the rust, and hey! I didn't die. My older brother thought it was melted metal in the middle of the thing. - As you can see, I found holes in the backside of the relic. Eight larger holes in a inner circle filled with rust and 6 smaller holes in the outer circle.
It happens, when I started this hobby I took everthing I find with me, after a while you get selective...
It's obviously not dangerous , don't worry about this particular piece. It however looks like a lid and there must have been quite some pressure and held with bolts.
This is a total, off-the-wall guess, but it looks like the plate which fixes an upright stanchion to the deck of a ship or boat......
Well I found it on a beach near a town with a lot of ships going in to the harbor so you could be right. But there was also many bunkers and at least one had a cannon inside.
I think that the reluctant conclusion here is that 'it could be anything'. Without markings or some other positive identifying feature, it's almost impossible to know. It could be from a gun mounting, a railing from the bunker steps, or it could even be post-war junk ( many bunkers and WWII sites were used postwar as convenient local fly-tipping sites ). Don't be disheartened - this happens to any relic-hunter, as Nick has said above. When Jagdpanther44 and I walked the Falaise battlefields last month, we threw a number of objects back into the fields as 'They could be anything' - most of the stuff we collected could be identified eg weapons parts, spent ammunition, personal equipment, etc.
The part in the middle looks like it screwed into something. That's as far as my thoughts go on this item.
You may try to temove the layer of rust with a toothbrush and warm soap water. If it's too damaged do not insist, but you may get some interesting results . Then you can fix the metal with anti rust products. I use the coating they usually put on old rusted stoves. It will restore it and stop the rust too. You can buy that in do it yourself shops
