Union 12 Gauge Headstamp

[theRaptor]

I found this on my Great Grandmother's old property. It is a 12 Gauge Headstamp made by Union Metalic Cartridge Company between 1867 and 1911. (It would have been a paper shell). Somebody told me this could be worth a good bit of money, but I don't know if it's true or not. If anyone knows the value of this, if any, please let me know.

(It says No. 12 Union. It had U.M.C.CO on the top, but you can just make out the U and the C, but you can't see it in the picture)

[SnailRacer99]

Cool find! Unfortunately I don't think this head stamp is worth anything besides its coolness factor. There are a handful of extremely rare examples that might be worth a few bucks to a collector but you'll have to ask Turtlefoot (resident head stamp expert) which ones those are. The collector market for paper shotgun shells really lies in the 'unshot' shells.

Still a cool find in my opinion. I like finding and keeping the old shells I find since they are a cool part of history. My oldest is from the 1870s and every time I look at it it's like holding time in my hand (cheesy, I know.. )

[theRaptor]

Right on. Yeah this one guy I met recently said an unshot one is probably worth like $1500, but he said the head stamp might be worth up to $500, but ya never know.... he might not know what he's talkin about.... any way, it was definately a cool find. When I found it, it was like.... Oooooo, never seen one like that before.... must be really old... Turns out I was right But, yeah, it's definately cool to hold a part of history like this. Thanks and HH

[turtlefoot]

Here is the quick answer. Money wise, your shotshell head is worth "old brass" scrap value.

Long answer. Originally, this shell was originally sold as a factory empty. It was not sold loaded, so an "unshot" one would just be an empty, primed tube. A Union shell that is loaded, was loaded out of the factory.

As for values, I only know of a handfull of shotshell worth over $100.00 in unfired condition. Last year, and example of a UMC 18ga sold for $200.00, and that is one of the rarest, if not the rarest shell produced. There are many shotshell heads that are dug every year that are rare to very rare, but few are worth anything by themselves.

The true value of a shotshell head is what it can tell you about the area you found it in, and what it can tell you about the person who dropped it. Yours for example will date from the turn of the century. It was bought as either an empty shell for the shooter to load, or the shooter bought a house load from his general store. It is also a black powder shell. So you are looking at a person who buys the cheaper, non-factory load and is still using a black powder shotgun. This will tell a person:

1. There was activity in that area 100+ years ago.
2. The shooter had a good chance of being a poorer person.
3. The shooter also had a good chance of being an older person using a shotgun that he has had for a period of time.

Doug

[theRaptor]

Very cool information Turtlefoot. Thanks. Some info about the place I found it at: My great grandparents used to live there; the house there now was built in the 80's, and the house before that was 100 years old, so 1880's. I also know that the property was in the family for 5 generations.
I can't wait to go back there after I get my ACE 350 There's got to be some silver there. I don't think the place has ever been detected.... Wish me luck!!!