Cannonball

[zoomerain]

Hello.  Several years ago, an old friend of mine who was living in the Palestine, OH area (near the PA and WV panhandle borders), gave me this metal ball that he dug up while putting in a garden thinking that it was an old shot put.  At the time, I was competing in Scottish Highland games, and he thought I might want it to practice for the stone throws.  In any event, I took the ball without paying any attention to it, put it in a cabinet in my garage and forgot about it until a few months ago.  I started looking at it and realized that it was not a shot put, but looked more like a cannonball.  Had a diameter of about 4" and weighed 9 lbs, 8 oz....definitely not a shot put.  As the photo shows, it's intact and has a plug in it, which got me concerned that it may have black powder in it.  I don't have the expertise to even guess, but was glad that I never threw it.
Just wondering if anyone could tell me anything about it....Could it be a live ordinance?....Any idea if it might be from Civil, French Indian or Revolutionary War?....If I were to sell it, could I safely/legally ship it? 
Any input would be greatly appreciated!

[speedenforcer]

shot put I think. I think there is supposed to be a number in the small round recessed area indicating weight. Does not look like a cannon ball to me.

[zoomerain]

The thing that convinced me that it’s not a regulation shot put was the odd weight. The 9 lb 8 oz weight doesn’t match any sanctioned shot put weight for any age class, male or female. But I do see what you mean about the depression that I thought was a plug. Certainly could be a depression that was for some kind of stamp or something. If not a cannonball or a shot put, maybe some kind of an old fence gate counter weight. Thanks for your reply! Helps narrow things down & much less worried I’ll get blown to kingdom come now!

[CarlS]

On the left side of Mike's and my relic sales site is a link to a site that covers your topic: How to ID a Cannon Ball.   It takes you here:
    http://www.pochefamily.org/books/SolidShotEssentialsMod.html

You are on the right track with your accurate scale.  Now you need to find an accurate measuring device to determine the diameter.  This can then be compared to the shot tables.  The round area is very well a sprue mark from the casting.  These were common on the cannon balls from the Rev War.  I can't tell from your picture.  A close up at a slight angle would possibly help.  Also it is in very good condition for one of early iron that has been buried for so long.

[zoomerain]

Thank you Carl! That site’s a great resource. A lot more to this than I knew & a lot more varieties of cannonballs out than I’d ever imagined.  Looking closely at the ball, I can’t detect a cast line perpendicular to the possible casting sprue, but the surface is pretty pitted, so that may be why.  I’m actually heading to a local heritage festival later today where they always have a good group of Civil & Revolutionary War re-enactors & collectors with displays.  I’m taking the ball with me & hoping that one of them might have a caliper that I can ask if they’d be willing to get an accurate diameter measurement for me.  When I get back, I’ll take & post an angled pic of the possible sprue hole, which as I eyeball it, appears to be about 2mm deep & also appears to be the same material as the rest of the ball, so I guess not likely a plug.  Hopefully it might be an American Revolution ball. I’m a big early American history buff & it’d be pretty humbling to be holding a piece of that history in my hands. Thank you again for your help!

[zoomerain]

Well, the collectors at the heritage festival I was at earlier took a look at it & thought that it was in many ways consistent with early American artillery but didn’t have a caliper on hand to check diameter. Suggested that I measure the circumference (13” in every measurement) & divide by pi, which I did & got a diameter of 4.14”.  The expert there, though, thought that the indentation might not be a sprue hole but instead may be left from a broken bar from a bar shot. He said that with all of the old iron & steel works throughout that part of eastern Ohio during that era, it’s possible that it was a discarded piece from an old barshot that broke & never made it to a naval battle.  Interesting possibility.  Also said that it wouldn’t be unusual to not have a cast line around the circumference because northern foundries rarely left cast lines whereas the southern foundries did. They did rule out it being a shot put & didn’t think it was a gate counter weight. When I got it home & started measuring the circumference, I noticed a small hole directly opposite the possible sprue hole, which I hadn’t noticed before because of the surrounding pitting.  I'm attaching a pic of that and the angled pic of the sprue hole.
They suggested that I submit the specs & some photos to Artillery Magazine to get their opinion.  This has been an education! Pretty interesting.

[CarlS]

Hello.  Your image does help.  I'd have to say also that it doesn't look like a sprue hole due to the straight sides and does look like it is a broken rod cast in the ball.  But I can't be sure.  The diameter you list is quite close to that of a 9lber ball and weight is pretty close as well.  If you make it to one of the shows I am at bring it by as I'd like to see it.

[zoomerain]

Thank you, Carl, I will take you up on that. In the meantime, I’ll be sure to post updates of any new info I learn. We live in northwestern PA & run across a fair number of re-enactments/collectors & such throughout the year.  Also planning a long weekend trip to Gettysburg in the coming months & was going to take the ball along & make some inquiries there.  Been an interesting search.  Thank you for hosting your forum.  It’s a tremendous resource!

[CarlS]

I highly recommend the Gettysburg Show coming up soon. It is the weekend of the 28th and it is gorgeous around there then but, with it being fall, it is hard to get hotel rooms, etc. since a lot of people get away on the weekend from the coast to enjoy the leaves and apples.  There are sure to be people at the show who can help ID your possible cannon ball.  I normally like to go but won't be able to this year.  Of course the fall is beautiful in your area as well.