How to Tell What Date Railroad Nails Come From
Nails were used by railroad companies in the last two centuries as a form of record keeping. These nails, called date nails, were hammered into railroad ties to keep track of their age. Date nails have a number stamped on the head, such as "12," to indicate the year. Some of them have letters on the head instead, but are still called date nails. In most cases, you'll be able to date a nail based on the number, but in other instances, you may need to consult expert resources.
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Instructions
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Determine whether what you've found is a railroad nail or spike. A spike is much longer and thicker; generally six to seven inches long. A railroad nail looks much more like a standard household nail; approximately 2.5 inches long.
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Examine the head of the railroad nail, looking for a two-digit number stamped into or on top of the nail head. These two digits correspond to the year; for example, a "19" stands for 1919. If the two digits are not next to one another in a row, but instead atop one another, these are code nails instead of date nails. (See Step 3.)
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Consult an expert reference book such as "Date Nails and Railroad Tie Preservation Vol 3," by Jeff Oaks. This book shows pictures of various railroad date nails and explains codes that may be confusing to the average collector.
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Tips & Warnings
Railroad nails can still be found in abandoned railroad ties along sections of railroad that are no longer in use, such as in some wooded areas. Be sure to gain permission before exploring property that you don't own.
Do not remove nails from a railroad site, or any site for that matter, without gaining permission first.
Use caution when purchasing railroad nails from other collectors or strangers; be sure you know what you are getting so you don't over pay for an item.
References
Resources
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