Round shot? From what era?

dlax

Elite Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
594
Location
Massachusetts
Is this a round shot or canon ball? It's solid, I think iron and approximately 2.5+ inches diameter. It weighs maybe 3lb. You can see a seam running around the circumference. It seems to have been shot.

I found this detecting in the woods in MA, and I'm not aware of any skirmishes in this spot. Also found a navy button and light artillery button from early 1800s according to Alberts, along with several plain flat buttons.
 

Attachments

  • 2017-09-06 08.35.53.jpg
    2017-09-06 08.35.53.jpg
    32.3 KB · Views: 362
  • 2017-09-06 08.35.30.jpg
    2017-09-06 08.35.30.jpg
    29.3 KB · Views: 345
  • 2017-09-06 08.35.11.jpg
    2017-09-06 08.35.11.jpg
    34 KB · Views: 338
I think you may have a mill stone. Cannon balls would not go out of round and have seems.

Mill stone was my first impression as well...

It is metal, not stone, but I agree it could have been a mill ball. Many small canon balls I've seen online did also have seams and sprues. But I will move this over to "help ID my find" section to see if the mill ball experts can help me nail this one down.

Thanks!
 
It isn't that they can't have a seam, but the seam is filed down to make the ball perfectly round. Otherwise it would get stuck in the cannon barrel. Notice how much yours is raised.
 
It isn't that they can't have a seam, but the seam is filed down to make the ball perfectly round. Otherwise it would get stuck in the cannon barrel. Notice how much yours is raised.

Good point! I'm not sure how it got so crushed whether it was a mill ball or projectile.
 
It is metal, not stone, but I agree it could have been a mill ball. Many small canon balls I've seen online did also have seams and sprues. But I will move this over to "help ID my find" section to see if the mill ball experts can help me nail this one down.

Thanks!

HAHAH I meant ball... my bad...
 
3 pounder

Is this a round shot or canon ball? It's solid, I think iron and approximately 2.5+ inches diameter. It weighs maybe 3lb. You can see a seam running around the circumference. It seems to have been shot.

I found this detecting in the woods in MA, and I'm not aware of any skirmishes in this spot. Also found a navy button and light artillery button from early 1800s according to Alberts, along with several plain flat buttons.

I don't THINK this is a cannonball, but what do I know? It does seem to be similar to a "three pounder" that I found a few decades ago.
http://metaldetectingforum.com/album.php?albumid=5903&pictureid=76095


Mine has no apparent seams but I ran it through an electrolysis tank when I found it decades ago to get the rust and crud off.
Jim
 
I don't THINK this is a cannonball, but what do I know? It does seem to be similar to a "three pounder" that I found a few decades ago.
http://metaldetectingforum.com/album.php?albumid=5903&pictureid=76095


Mine has no apparent seams but I ran it through an electrolysis tank when I found it decades ago to get the rust and crud off.
Jim

Your ball looks good to me. If you will go to the site called "Treasure Net" and ask for "The Cannonball Guy" to chime in he is the best expert there is. Be prepared to give him exact weights and measurements. His name is Peter George and he authored one of the best books on artillery.
 
Your ball looks good to me. If you will go to the site called "Treasure Net" and ask for "The Cannonball Guy" to chime in he is the best expert there is. Be prepared to give him exact weights and measurements. His name is Peter George and he authored one of the best books on artillery.
Thanks will do!

Sent from my STV100-1 using Tapatalk
 
UPDATE : it is NOT magnetic so not iron. Maybe steel? In that case, would it definitely rule out being a projectile?
 
Killing me man...

Guess what steel is made of..

<°)))>{

Killing me WOman...

Ok so steel is made of iron. Got it.

It's not magnetic is my update. I'm not sure if this offer a clue to distinguish it from cannon ball vs mill ball, but wanted to throw that out there.
 
Your ball looks good to me. If you will go to the site called "Treasure Net" and ask for "The Cannonball Guy" to chime in he is the best expert there is. Be prepared to give him exact weights and measurements. His name is Peter George and he authored one of the best books on artillery.

I took your advice and posted on Treasurenet requesting the cannonball guy to weigh in but it's been 4 days and so far he hasn't. :-(
 
Update on "Two Pounder"

Your ball looks good to me. If you will go to the site called "Treasure Net" and ask for "The Cannonball Guy" to chime in he is the best expert there is. Be prepared to give him exact weights and measurements. His name is Peter George and he authored one of the best books on artillery.

Well I heard from Peter and he wants more specific measurements (no surprise) so tomorrow I will buy some digital calipers to provide a digital reading of the diameter, and see if my Post Office will let me bring it in to weigh it on their scale without charging me for bringing a "firearm" into a Post Office. However if the new measurements are close to my original measurements he says it is probably not a cannonball. We'll see...
 
Back
Top Bottom