Rbray,
What were you looking for in the first place that caused you to find this? Though it shouldn't, it is possible for the outer case of the ignition case to move just enough for it to make contact inside with the starter contact. I agree with Terry that it sounds as if your ignition switch could be bad. But check the wires as he mentioned to be sure none of them are close enough to short. Weird things can happen when you start moving wires on switches or steering columns.
Ron
