A piece of coal that washed up on the beach. Im actually guessing a little that its anthracite, but I know it is coal. Its possible its from the late 1800s or early 1900s. I have found tons of this out here, and have actually dried it out and set fire to it.
Is there a known shipwreck near where you found it?
I'd have to look on a coast guard map to see what's nearby, but the spot where I found it is a place where two large ocean current converge in a very particular spot which is known for bringing stuff in from beyond the Gulf of Mexico. I'm trying to be descriptive but vague because it's a giveaway to my geographic locale.
I've found bales of rubber from WWI Nazi war ships, bales of waterlogged weed, ocean buoys from the Atlantic Ocean, all sorts of stuff from faraway places. This piece of coal has very likely been in the water for over 100 years slowly making its way here.