Every old house has its secrets—dusty attics, hidden crawlspaces, and basements filled with long-forgotten items. But every so often, someone stumbles across something that sparks real curiosity. Recently, a box full of smooth, silvery, oval-shaped metal pieces was found in a basement. Heavy, uniform in shape, and clearly stored with purpose, these objects raise one big question: What are they, and why were they stored away?
First Impressions
At a glance, these ovals look like metal blanks—unfinished pieces that could have been intended for further use. Their silvery sheen suggests they could be cast from lead, zinc, pewter, or another soft metal. The fact that they’re all roughly the same shape and size points to mass production rather than random scrap.
Possible Explanations
-
Lead Ingots or Casting Blanks
Lead was widely used in the past for everything from plumbing and roofing to fishing sinkers and ammunition. Homeowners or craftsmen might have melted down scrap lead into small, manageable shapes for future use. Storing them in a basement makes sense since it stayed cool and dry. -
Homemade Slugs or Tokens
During lean times—such as the Great Depression or wartime shortages—people sometimes made their own tokens or slugs for bartering and local trade. While these pieces don’t appear stamped, they could have been blanks awaiting impressions. -
Bullet or Ammunition Casting Stock
Hunters and shooters often cast their own bullets, especially in rural areas where store-bought ammunition was expensive or unavailable. These ovals could have been prepared stock, ready to be melted and poured into bullet molds. -
Industrial Scrap or Counterweights
Factories often produced byproducts in odd shapes. These could have been collected as counterweights, scrap for resale, or even as part of a small home workshop’s supplies.
Why Store Them in the Basement?
Please Head On keep on Reading (>)
