My kid found this in the creek. What is it?

[ValH]

Hello, my son found this in the little creek under the rock today. We are in the East Falls, Philadelphia. He is wondering what it might be. It feels like some sort of a light metal... any ideas? Thank you!

[SurfaceHunter]

Looks like a pin I actually am drawing a blank on what's it called. I don't think it's old

[flintguy]

Linch pin?

[ValH]

Thank you!

[SurfaceHunter]

Cotter pin I think

[Hal Gorges]

Window sash weight, ? Although it looks a little small.

[Superdup]

Duck decoy weight is my guess

[utilized flake]

Clevis pin? Although I vote decoy weight!!

[ValH]

Ha! Thank you all! When tried to clean it up and scrubbed it with some baking soda, we realized it wasn’t made out of metal. It is light brownish color with white spots. Looks like wood but feels like some kind of stone... idk...

[SurfaceHunter]

I say this often but outside picture is 100% better

[ValH]

Agreed! Going to retake it!

[antmike915]

Interesting, you're son has a eye for finding things. I would have brought that home too.

[2ndoldman]

Very interesting item. I would stop by a university and ask if they can tell if it is stone or bone.

[ValH]

Great idea. It looks like it might be a bone. Fascinating

[ValH]

Better pictures

[Hoss]

Back in the 1800s they made pencils out of slate and steatite . To mark on slate boards. If I recollect chalk was not introduced for writing on slate until around 1880 or so. Since these were so small in size some were grooved some perforated to attache a string to keep it attached to the slate board. I am pretty sure that is what you have there. A slate pencil .
https://www.kimscuriosityshop.com/sc...cil-1509-p.asp

[ValH]

Interesting! It is certainly shaped like a pencil... Thank you for your response.

[redrocks]

Good call Matt!

[Hoss]

Some of mine none perforated like yours but one is grooved.

[Hoss]

Cornfields and bottle dumps Red

[redrocks]

Nice....scianna called me he said they turned over schreibers ...I gotta get up there.......

[Hoss]

Red keep an eye out for Large copper cents in that back field. That area has been farmed for many years. There is a lot of historic stuff in there. I found kaolin pipe pieces , Large cents, porcelain buttons . Gun flints. I would not be surprised if slate pencils didnt show up in there. Man loads of folks walk those fields. No doubt in my mind there is a lot more to find there. Archaic through Historic. My cousin had a nice bannerstone out of the front field.