Petrified charcoal or stone?

[Tailes]

Hello everyone,

I found an odd rock at my beach in Florida. It looks like charcoal. It’s heavy like cement. Sand has formed rock around the bottom. (Coquina?) It also has  rust colors around the sandy parts.  It probably has been in the ocean a long time. From looking online, it might be Lignite. Just curious how old it might be and what it is. Thanks everyone!

[Darktooth]

Interesting, but I don't have a clue what it might be.

[Fossildude19]

MOVED TO FOSSIL ID.

 

Maybe some form of lignite?

[FranzBernhard]

Can you scratch the black stuff with a knife blade?

If yes, what is the color of the resulting powder?
Franz Bernhard

[Tailes]

When I scratch it, the dust off of it is black

[FranzBernhard]

8 minutes ago, Tailes said:

When I scratch it, the dust off of it is black

So it is a piece of bituminous coal or anthracite, encrusted with coquina. How long it has stayed in the ocean? A few years, perhaps longer. Hard to tell.

Is the piece still stable (if stored in air)?

Franz Bernhard

Edited January 23 by FranzBernhard

[Rockwood]

Charcoal is geologically stable. I don't think it would be as shiny though. 

[paleoflor]

1 hour ago, Rockwood said:

Charcoal is geologically stable. I don't think it would be as shiny though. 

Anthracite can be rather shiny in my experience

[Rockwood]

1 hour ago, paleoflor said:

Anthracite can be rather shiny in my experience

I agree, but charcoal was in question. Well, petrified charcoal. Is that a thing? 

[FranzBernhard]

8 hours ago, Rockwood said:

Well, petrified charcoal. Is that a thing?

At least fossil charcoal is a thing:

Fusain - Wikipedia

Forget the pic there...

 

Specimen in question is too shiny to be charcoal, yes.

 

Franz Bernhard

 

[Al Dente]

I find a lot of anthracite on beaches in North Carolina from wrecked steamships and coal barges. I'm guessing the same can be found in Florida.