Help needed to ID these "things"

[Chef Geoff]

Now I know I should know the answer to this question but after all my years detecting I have to admit I don't.
Although I may have found them in the past I can't honestly say I have found them in the same profusion as I have recently, I first came across them in one field and thought they were some type of rivet from overalls or the like but after finding about 8 I decided that they were peculiar to the field. This idea has now changed as I am finding them on different sites, miles apart.
So I am now beginning to think that it is the Nautilus which is picking them up. My guess is that they are the tops from the dreaded penicillin tubes we find everywhere (they must of had them).
All have been found within 2" of the surface and are made of aluminium and are the same size as a brass rivet from a pair of jeans.
If anyone else has found them regularly, could you please post what machine you use as I am trying to work out the minimum detection on some machines. (yes I did say minimum) Thanks in advance.

[trojan]

they look like poper bases you know the old canvas tarpaulin that you could pop closed with the studs on trailer covers tents lorry tarpaulin etc

[Chef Geoff]

Yes they do Trojan but they are far too small, they are roughly 8mm across

[trojan]

only other ting i can think of if they are only 8mm in size is drill caps for seeding , you know when a farmer seeds his fields they use a drill system and inside the main drill valves are changeable sized drill caps so the flow of the seeds can be controlled. but i haven't seen any close up before, so ill have to go and look at some on one of the farms 

[jtalbot0001]

Hey Geoff,

I have to say I find loads of these things as well!! I haven't a clue what they are but always presumed they were fairly modern. I use an Etrac as you know!! I always dig them cause they sound too good to not dig up.

Cheers,
Jon

[Chef Geoff]

Thanks Jon, yes they give a fantastic "hit" for their size. Interesting that you are the only Etrac user so far to of found them. Depending how many responses I get I may ask you for your settings, if that's ok. Neither the Etrac or SE found them as far as I remember but that could be down to the settings I use.

[The Doc]

I've had plenty of them with the Fisher F75. Don't know what they are, but they always sound like a good target (small hammered).

[Chef Geoff]

Thanks Peter, that figures as the F75 is running at just under 14 Khz which is the same as the Nautilus.

[nfl]

tops of penecilin tubes they are,i live next to a dairy farm ,and detect there regulary and i usually come across these little buggers with the se,i usually find less of em on other dairy farms which i find strange ...

[Chef Geoff]

Your a star Paul, thanks for that. Just another quick question do you tend to find them at a particular depth?

[nfl]

i find these at various depths,on the surface or under the ground average 3 to 7 inches....give of a lovely signal.  

[benny]

Found loads of them myself with the Tejon Geoff-they are actually the top part of a pop rivet used for fixing together sheets of metal eg.a corrugated tin barn roof. Over time the metal sheeting expands and contracts with the change in temperatures and they come apart. Then when they muck out the barns,the rivets get spread on the fields with the shit! Hope this explains it and yeah they give off a damn good signal too!

[Chef Geoff]

Benny yo da man.....
AHHH now that's the best explanation I've heard. And when I spoke to Taff about these the other night, I said if my theories are right the one person who will have found them is Benny with his "animal".

[Meatslicer]

Can I suggest an alternative. They look like the backs of ear tabs that are used to identify dairy and beef cattle. I have a complete one somewhere in my junk box that has the front on with the cows id and date of patent etc. with one of these squashed rings on the back to hold it on the ear. The one I have is an american design and the patent is american too.

They are not used so often now because they had a habit of ripping out of the ear. The tabs you see now have a lot of plastic and round edges so the tab stays on.

Hope this helps

Eric