What is it? A quiz!

[Drache]

Ok I already know what this is but I want to see if someone can guess it's purpose (it's pretty easy).

This is one of about a dozen dug up like this on the old family farm (they once belonged to my great great grandfather and then my great grandfather). They are half spheres and are about 4 inches in diameter on the bottom and stand about 3-4 inches tall. They are made out of lead.

These were purchased like this for a certain purpose. So what is the purpose?

[sniffer]

that looks like a weight for a scale, possibly used when butter was sold by the pound
or it could also be the lead they used to melt down and make their own bullets

[Drache]

it could also be the lead they used to melt down and make their own bullets

DOH! I knew it was easy but I didn't think it would be THAT quick to guess!

Congrats!

My Great Great Grandfather would buy these in town and cut pieces off then melt the pieces down to cast his own bullets. My Great Grandfather did a little but not much so most of these were left and over time became buried in the yard. The new owners of the farm didn't know what they were and so gave one to us if we could guess what it was. Luckily my Grandmother knew exactly what her father used them for.

We were told to come back and get the other 11 or so but never did.

[sniffer]

the only people that still want them are people who still shoot black powder guns