Captain Kidds Treasure 'silver' (?) ingot

David R · 23rd February 2025, 12:15 AM

Re lead silver ingots, a Roman example was found in the UK all marked up as silver, but analysis proved it to be mainly lead. Roman era fraud. Became the central plot device in The Silver Pigs a 1989 historical mystery crime novel by English author Lindsey Davis.

Jim McDougall · 23rd February 2025, 08:57 PM

Thanks David!
Interesting analogy, and like piracy, devious plots and shifty characters nothing new and have been around as long as humanity in effect.
That novel sounds intriguing, 'pigs' were of course the lead ballast ingots, as called in their time of use in the age of sail.

23rd February 2025, 12:15 AM	#1
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,114	Re lead silver ingots, a Roman example was found in the UK all marked up as silver, but analysis proved it to be mainly lead. Roman era fraud. Became the central plot device in The Silver Pigs a 1989 historical mystery crime novel by English author Lindsey Davis.

23rd February 2025, 08:57 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,188	Thanks David! Interesting analogy, and like piracy, devious plots and shifty characters nothing new and have been around as long as humanity in effect. That novel sounds intriguing, 'pigs' were of course the lead ballast ingots, as called in their time of use in the age of sail.