SELBY Ingot

[wilkesevans]

I'm hoping someone can give me an idea of what to do with this ingot I recently purchased from a Facebook marketplace post. Quick backstory before someone jumps on me for paying $1/pound. Sourcing lead in Middle Georgia has gotten very tough. Most tire stores are now selling wheel weights for $40/bucket and the percentage of actual lead weights is somewhere in the 30-40% range at best. That being said I've moved to buy pure lead where I can to also save the hassle of sorting through a large number of weights.

I picked up this ingot for $100 and it weighs just a tad over 100 pounds. In doing a little research to verify the composition I've discovered this may be a very old ingot. I've found a few articles on Thomas Selby and the company which apparently was acquired somewhere around 1905.

Here is my question... is there enough either cash or historical value for this ingot to not melt it down for casting. I've found that Grade C is 99.9% pure. I've found the one on eBay for $850 and the one that was sold at an auction for $1200. Is this one possibly worth a proportionately similar amount?

282362

282363

282364

282365

[kevin c]

I have a Selby ingot of a different type. Here's what I found out, similar to your research, though every item is different, and the value of what we each own is in the eyes of the commodities market in the one hand and of a collector on the other.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?335555-quot-Collectible-quot-lead-ingots&highlight=Cheerios

[pete501]

It must be expired. Selby or Sell By '72. I would gladly dispose of that for you.

[Chill Wills]

I had no idea an old lead ingot would have collector value.

I am going to watch this thread. I have a Doe Run ingot the same size and shape.

[wilkesevans]

It must be expired. Selby or Sell By '72. I would gladly dispose of that for you.

Lol! I toss expired lead all the time. Maybe I should just ship it to you. [emoji1783]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wilkesevans]

I had no idea an old lead ingot would have collector value.

I am going to watch this thread. I have a Doe Run ingot the same size and shape.

I’m starting to think it’s all about timing. It’s only worth what someone is willing to pay. The problem is finding that person. I’m assuming the pool is pretty dang small.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rooster]

Isn't there a premium for lead smelted before the beginning of the Atomic Age for use in radioinstrumentation?

[lightman]

Thats a cool piece of history. It would make a great door stop in your loading room.

[kevin c]

I have to agree that the number of people willing to spend $1200 for a 5# chunk of lead has to be very small.

My two ingots are not the same as the high priced one, so I have doubts as to their value as anything other than ten pounds of plumbers lead. But, having a lot of pure, mine have been set aside for the conversation piece value ("Do you know an ingot of lead this size from the same company once sold for over a thousand dollars?").

[Chill Wills]

The way things are going, lead may be worth that again soon:mrgreen:

My 100 pound Doe Run ingot will be worth much more after being finely divided .... into bullets.

[TyGuy]

The way things are going, lead may be worth that again soon:mrgreen:

My 100 pound Doe Run ingot will be worth much more after being finely divided .... into bullets.

Your Doe Run ingot was dug and smelted a few towns away from me! They float around this area but people want way too much for them. I’d like to snag one for a decent price just for the local historical value. I like the idea of a lead door stopper

[bangerjim]

"If they made it.........chances some fool out there will collect it!"

That is what I have learned from my 47+ years in dealing in the antique clock/furniture/dish/tools arenas. There is one born every minute as the old saying goes.

banger

[Chill Wills]

Your Doe Run ingot was dug and smelted a few towns away from me! They float around this area but people want way too much for them. I’d like to snag one for a decent price just for the local historical value. I like the idea of a lead door stopper

If we lived closer, I'd give it to you for fair value. With me, it will just end up melted some day. For some reason, I guess its size, I have not melted it in the 15-18 years I have had it in my soft lead stash.

[oley55]

what kinda winds and doors do you guys have that a 100 pound ingot would be useful as a doorstop? may as well pin the hinges cause u ain’t gonna just casually move it into and out of position, or so me thinks...

[kevin c]

Nah, keeping the door open isn't the point. What you want is to be able to tell visitors, "Watch you step; don't trip over the 24 thousand dollar ingot there by the door...".

[rockrat]

Paint it with silver paint and tell visitors its a ingot of silver. Better yet, have it plated with real silver (if not too much) then it will really look like an ingot of silver.

[bangerjim]

Why mess with silver????????????? Silver is not worth that much these days. $28.00 or so a troy ounce is not that much. I doubt it will ever go much higher.

Go for the GOLD..........gold leaf............that is. Now THAT is worth something! Around $1,830/Toz. You can buy faux gold leaf in hobby stores or on line (www.lagoldleafus.com) that can easily be applied by following the directions in the package on line. It will look (and weigh) like real solid gold!

I did that with several old railroad spikes for train buff friends. They can say that they have the "golden spike" from the transcontinental railroad meeting in Promontory Point, Utah!

I have quite a few ounces of REAL 23ct gold leaf I use for antique restorations. Amazing how gold metal can be reduce to that tiny thickness!

banger

[kevin c]

People seeing my stash of ingots inevitably comment, "Too bad that's not gold...".

I think I need a snappy comeback, like, "No. Too bad it's not Bitcoin...", except for the physical vs digital disconnect.