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While I was gathering wood for a fire, I pulled back on a piece of wood on a dead tree. The piece gave but did not break free. As I pried open a gap in the old wood, something shiny caught my eye. I thought bullet at first but it became too long. I finally managed to pry it out with my knife, giving up on getting the wooden splinter section free.
It is soft heavier metal and not attracted to magnets. With research I'm leaning towards bar-and-ring clasp for jewelry or watch chain piece.
This really bit at my curiosity bone, because how the dickens did it get into an old dead tree well off any trail? Also where did it come from?

Bird maybe?

The fact there is no tarnish makes me lean towards gold

I find the resemblance to Thomas Jefferson very peculiar.

If is is gold, the filigree makes me think it might be old; maybe as old as the tree you found it in? Might be the end of an old watch chain...

@PLC92084
I agree on the end of a watch chain, and defiantly gold as it's the only metal that does not tarnish/rust.

What was the date on the coin? The gold piece could have been a jacket button such as a cuff button.

I guess it's time to cut up the rest of the tree...

You've found the Lost Dutchman!!!

It appears the date on the nickel is 1941? If so you at least found some silver.

Did you check the geocaching websites
I hate it when I lose stuff. If you find a Rolex in some 'shrooms in La Honda, I'll pay the postage. I think Neal took it.

@skatchkins
Would you like to borrow my metal detector to check out that tree and the ground around it? ;)

Def watch fob chain end. This is the swivel that goes thru the button hole.
This is really cool, maybe they hung their watch on the tree for safe keeping while camping, hunting or wrangling.

Update. I gave it to a jeweler friend to inspect. It is 18k. The cap comes off. He took it off and I got a text saying it looks like there are ashes inside.
Later he had a friend (he couldn't bring himself to do it) inspect the contents and they decided it was incense, by the smell and believe it or not, they had some relative remains at the store they were supposed to take hiking to different places to disperse they compared the powder to.
But also inside is a thin sheet of coiled gold soldered into the closed end.
So it would appear it is some sort of mystic artifact placed there at some point by someone. No guesses on date.

skatchkins wrote:So it would appear it is some sort of mystic artifact placed there at some point by someone. No guesses on date.

And this is different from what we all knew from the beginning, how? ;)


So it didn't contain remains/ashes, but rather incense. Huh. The mystery continues.

If I were you I'd just melt down the 18k and get some cash for it. : king : Gold has been on the downward for a couple of years now.

Yes when it first looked like it was remains, I thought 3.5g would be about $70 and thought, crap that's not enough to dismiss not returning it to the area but it's exactly how much it would cost in gas to do so.
Now that it appears to be an Islamic Black magic Taweez and I am probably cursed, melting it doesn't seem so bad.

I almost had my very own gold tree for a minute there.

Worth more whole, as a memento, than melted down and blown on beer ... ;)

kingsnake wrote:Worth more whole, as a memento, than melted down and blown on beer ... ;)

I usually say the exact opposite to people who come into my biz..... ;)

Maybe someone should check in on me for the next few days just in case....

Alston Neal wrote:I usually say the exact opposite to people who come into my biz..... ;)

Are you the one who owns the North Mountain Brewing Company?

@skatchkins
Years ago I was a goldsmith and I had Jewish clients bring me the cremains of relatives to put into pendants.
Although traditionally cremation was frowned upon things have changed and I do remember having to put an inscribed piece in with the cremains.
I hate to say it but it needs to be returned.
What is odd about this piece is it's a watch fob. So maybe it was grandpas or it was all they had.