Metal detecting is an exciting and rewarding hobby. Uncovering buried treasure is something that keeps hobbyists hooked. However, things get frustrating when you find stuff that looks valuable, but you have no idea what it is.
You will often find things with your metal detector that you can’t identify. One of these common things are (little) metal balls. They can vary in size, shape and weight. But what can these metal balls actually be?
When you find a little metal ball with a metal detector it is probably a musket ball, a ball bearing, a taconite pellet, a ball from a ball mill, a crotal bell, a sinker or a marble. Furthermore, it can also be a shot put spherical ball, a nip of a ballpoint pen or decoration.
You might wonder what these things look like and what they actually are. In this blog, I will visually show you every possibility. Furthermore, I will explain you what each little metal ball means and where it was used for.
Keep reading if you want to identify your little metal ball! Good Luck!
1. Musket Ball
There is a good chance that you’ve found a musket ball with your metal detector. A musket ball (also called musket bullet) is ammunition that was used in muskets during the 16th to 19th centuries. These balls were often made of lead and they have a round shape.
The musket ball is fired from the barrel of the musket when the gunpowder inside the musket is ignited. These musket balls vary in size. They range from 0.6 to 0.75 inches in diameter (15 to 20 mm). Furthermore, the average weight of a musket ball is around the 0.5 ounces (15 grams). This feels quite heavy in your hands.
It could be that these musket balls are a little bit distorted. The reason for this is because these balls shrink during the cooling process (when they are made). Furthermore, the lead was often impure. It could also be distorted when the bullet was fired.
Musket guns were the primary weapon in many battles in the 17th and 18th century. This means that you have a good chance to find one of these bullets in the fields. A musket looks like a shotgun with a really long gun barrel.
2. Ball Bearing
A ball bearing is a little metal ball that is located between moving parts in order to reduce friction and to obtain smooth rotation. These metal balls are held in place (evenly spaced) by a casing. They are often used in the machinery and in the transport sector. Think about farm machines, cars, bicycles and carts.
There are many different sizes ball bearings depending on the purpose (industrial machines or just a bicycle for example). I assume that you have found a little metal ball. These little ball bearings are about 1/8 inches (3.2 mm) in diameter.
These things may have ended up on a field when they were demounted or when a machine or vehicle broke.
3. Taconite Pellet
These little metal balls (also called taconite pellets) are indispensable in steel production. Taconite is an iron ore that is mined in the United States (this means that it is the most likely that you will find these balls in the US).
The ore is processed to pellets in factories by first crushing the ore and after this it is rolled into balls. These taconite pellets, in turn, serve as a source of iron for the steelmaking process. This means that you will probably find these balls close to industrial factories.
However, I think that there is only a small chance that you found a taconite pellet since these are a human-made by product. Still, there is always a chance!
4. A ball from a ball mill
Another option is that you found a ball from a ball mill. A ball mill looks like a large grinder cylinder. There are many metal balls inside this cylinder. These balls are made of steel or iron and they are used to crush and grind the material inside.
The size of these balls vary depending on the type of material that is crushed into fine grains. These ball mills are often located near to industrial estates.
5. Crotal Bell
A crotal bell is a small bell (normally between 1 and 2 inches / 2 to 2.5 cm) that was attached to livestock back in the days. The term ”crotal” refers to the sound that is produced by the bell.
A crotal bell is typically made of bronze or brass and they have a little circle on top to attach a rope or cord. They were usually used by farmers to keep track of the livestock because the ringing sound helped the farmer to locate the animals.
A crotal bell was also used as decoration and status symbol. The large and ornate bells were used for the most important animals whereas the less ornate bells were used for less important livestock.
These crotal bells were already used in the Middle Ages in Europe and North America. You will probably find those crotal bells close to former (or current) farms!
6. Sinker
You may have found a round sinker. A sinker is used by fishers to weigh down fishing lines and bait. Sinkers come in varies sizes and weights. When an angler has to throw the bait far away, he will probably use a quite heavy sinker (up to several ounces).
A sinker is the most of the time made by lead which means that it feels quite heavy. Sinkers have a round or spherical shape in order to move smooth through the water.
If you found your little metal ball close to a river, lake or other water source, there is a good chance that it is a sinker!
7. A marble
Did you find the little metal ball close to a children’s playground or schoolyard? Then there is a good chance that you have found a marble.
Metal marbles are the most of the time made of steel, copper, brass and aluminum. You can recognize them by the color and the weight. A metal marble often has a dark color. Furthermore, they are heavier than a normal marble.
It could be possible that the marble is pretty old because the game have been played by ancient civilizations like the Greeks and Romans.
8. Shot put spherical ball
A less obvious option is that you have found a heavy weighted ball that is used with shot put. These spherical balls are really easy to recognize since they are relatively big and extremely heavy.
It is not very likely that you will find these weighted balls in the fields. It is, on the other hand, more obvious that you will find these spherical balls close to an athletics track.
9. Nip of a ballpoint pen
A very small metal ball is the ”ballpoint” or ”nip” that can be found in a ballpoint pen. The ballpoint in the pen can freely move because it is held in place by a socket.
Ballpoint pens have existed since mid-20th century. Ballpoint pens are commonly used by workers in a field to take notes for example. These ”nips” are often made of tungsten carbide. This means that you have good chance to find one of these little metal balls with your metal detector.
10. Decoration
Very often, if you still can’t identify the metal ball after reading all these options mentioned above, it is just decoration. It could be that people used this as a Christmas ball, as Easter Egg or they put it in a fruit bowl.
Furthermore, it could be a round a pearl, a vase, a crystal, an earring or another round (ball) shaped decoration item. It is also very likely that it is just a decoration ball that was used in jewelry, clothes and other items.
Frequently Asked Questions
Musket balls are often deformed because of the manufacturing process. The reason for this is because the lead could cool unevenly after the lead was poured into a mold. Furthermore, the musket ball could be deformed when it collided with objects in its path.
Yes, metal marbles are still being made nowadays. However, the most marbles are made of glass or plastic. Metal marbles are the most of the time made of aluminum, copper or steel (or a combination).
Yes, you will frequently find musket balls when you are searching in the fields with your metal detector. The reason for this is because a musket was one of the main weapons used during the 1600 till early 1800.