Captain Kidds Treasure 'silver' (?) ingot

[Jim McDougall]

Still doing research on the lead ballast ingots (pigs) used in vessels in the 17th c. and it seems one of the key sources on study of these was written in 2013 by Mack McCarthy, "Lead Ingots from the Wreck of the Zuiddorp (1712) Western Australia" (International Journal of Nautical Archaeology" 2013.

This is incredibly comprehensive and detailed and lists many sources on this topic from many Dutch wrecks of 17th c. into 18th. Apparently English foundry's supplied much of the lead supply for the Dutch and other European nations, though obviously not exclusively, but major supplier.

As I went through this work (very detailed @ 18 pages) I found charts classifying the types etc. and one category (Type IV (ZT 3388 fig.6) has similar 'boat' shape to the CLIFFORD FIND in Madagascar. Apparently the example illustrated is heavier than the Clifford example, the shape is significant.

Also, concerning the markings:
It seems these lead ingots were indeed marked with various motifs, numbers, letters, initials and ciphers, sometimes dates.
Also apparently various merchants etc. would apply their own marks etc. along the use of these.
Rather than always being offloaded as 'wanladen' (useless and with no market value) often these remained in the hull under the cargo floors as part of the vessels weight and balance.

Without delving further into the complexities of lead ballast ingots here, the point is that this mysterious ingot found by the Clifford venture in the harbor at Isle ste. Marie appears to have been an authentically marked example rather than deceptively intended.
While it is puzzling why only a single ingot would be found as most finds of these from wrecks of course number from 100 or more. However, as the debris said to be from dock construction is suggested rather than that of a vessel, perhaps such items might have been used in those activities?
Whatever the case, it seems to have been a lead ballast ingot with examples of the many progressive marking characters used in wide variation in those times.