[RobRich]

I would believe some idiot testing for possible gold content originally drilled the sample hole (who knows?). Either way, a large sample would have been required for chemical testing to determine the base metal. No fancy digital equipment back then.

Importation via settlement of immigrating western Europeans is the expected source. Also, as expected, the family would have brought great wealth with them due to their status as large plantation owners.

There is a seriously bizarre (yet legitimate and documentable) story about how my family ended up with this piece, though that discussion will have to be for another time and place.

Robert Richmond