Cannon Ball Fragment ID help

[Patriot Relics]

Hey guys,

Posted this fragment prior to electrolysis, but still working on an ID. It was recovered Richmond, VA, is slightly over 5 inches in diameter, and weighs 4 lbs. Some have speculated it may be a union naval shell. Thanks for the help!



Here's what it looked like before a week in the electrolysis bath-

 

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[d2]

I also think that it must have come from a piece of Naval Artillery. That's a huge piece. Congrats...d2

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

To be an Artillery ball, a dug-in-America ball's diameter must match up PRECISELY with one of the Artillery ball diameters given in the size charts in the Ordnance Manual, at:
www.civilwarartillery.com/shottables.htm

Because your ball is broken, getting a PRECISE measurement of its diameter will be difficult. In historical artillery, there was a 5.1-to-5.17-inch diameter ball, called an 18-Pounder caliber cannonball. Also, there was a 5.68-to-5.72-inch diameter ball called a 24-Pounder caliber cannonball.

Almost no 18-Pounder cannons were used in the civil. There were common in the Revolutionary War and War-Of-1812. The 24-Pounder cannons were used from the Colonial era through the civil war.

"Broken apart" Solid-Shot cannonballs are extremely rare, but a few do exist. It's possible that that's what you found. But it's also possible that you found a broken ore-crusher or coal-pulverizer ball, from the Mining-&-Stonemilling Industry. Precise measuring can point us to the answer.

 

[Patriot Relics]

To be an Artillery ball, a dug-in-America ball's diameter must match up PRECISELY with one of the Artillery ball diameters given in the size charts in the Ordnance Manual, at:
www.civilwarartillery.com/shottables.htm

Because your ball is broken, getting a PRECISE measurement of its diameter will be difficult. In historical artillery, there was a 5.1-to-5.17-inch diameter ball, called an 18-Pounder caliber cannonball. Also, there was a 5.68-to-5.72-inch diameter ball called a 24-Pounder caliber cannonball.

Almost no 18-Pounder cannons were used in the civil. There were common in the Revolutionary War and War-Of-1812. The 24-Pounder cannons were used from the Colonial era through the civil war.

"Broken apart" Solid-Shot cannonballs are extremely rare, but a few do exist. It's possible that that's what you found. But it's also possible that you found a broken ore-crusher or coal-pulverizer ball, from the Mining-&-Stonemilling Industry. Precise measuring can point us to the answer.

I'll get a micrometer and get a more accurate diameter from the section that still exists

 

[Patriot Relics]

Measured at the largest cross section, the diameter is 5.125 inches- think I may in fact have an 18 lbr