"PENOBSCOT EXPEDITION" ^BROAD ARROW CANNON BALL FOUND

Castineman1779

Sr. Member
Apr 30, 2013
269
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Maine
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For u folks following my finds from my site in Castine , Maine and my adventures there in my 23rd year thanks for coming back. One would indeed would think pickens would be by now pretty slim to almost none after a small army of relic hunters past and present with a few hardy THers have pounded this site. However for the guy or gal that does not mind becoming part billy goat or don't mind climbing over dead trees or tree branches pocking u in all areas of your body it is worth it my friends. Not a walk in the park.
On of my favorite finds, since spent a quarter of my career in the Army in Field Artillery, is any kind of ordnance. Being musket balls, grape shot, mortar frags , bar shots or cannon balls I have been fortunate to have found them all in quantity i my hundreds of hunts there in almost a quarter if a century. . The big iron cannon balls are for this relic hunter what I call a "Quality Moment" when after 240 years when I find one where Mother Earth has cradeled it in the ground and when i bring it to the light . I just shut off my machine and savor the moment knowing many of these took the lives of both Rebel and Redcoats in their short flight from a cannon barrel.
A few days back was back at this site for my 39 hunt this year starting in early April with a first and only find that day a French 6 pounder . 15 years earlier found my first one about 25 feet from that one. Man my first find first day this year got me sycked and motivated to make now that hour trip. 3 days ago I found a cooking site when the American's were on picket duty. First find that day a pretty well toasted King George copper just up from the beach. Did not stay there long and ventured out into the woods in my quest for more ordnance. Pulled up 3 small grape shot , one musket ball and a fired pistol ball. Four hours later return to where the KG3 was found the day before and got a solid hit on my DEus. Dug down and pulled out about a third of an iron cooking pot the American's were using and a rare kettle holder. Right next to that a tool i am not sure what was used for. Then pulled out a rare American bale seal with the number 6 or 9 on it of lead and well preserved. Was a great day , packed up my stuff and went home. The following day return to that cooking site to see if missed anything and pull out a nice iron cartridge box buckle. Got a late start that day so head back into the wood for maybe more ord. Two hours later narda till I get a 40 reading on the DEus. The target was under a large rock and thought maybe one of those pesky shotgun shells . So i am digging down about a foot and still get a signal. Dig down another 6 or so inches and my coil touches the side of the target that is right under this rock. By now getting excited to think hey maybe a keeper here when I see the rounded part of what looks like a 6 pounder cannon ball. Another 5 minutes I get her out and yup it indeed is a 6 and maybe the rare elusive British Broad Arrow that for most folks hunting this site the "Holy Grail " of Cb's. Once again my last target of the day . I think this much fun should not be allowable by law. LOL. Take it down to the water and knock off some incrustations. The familiar Broad Arrow appears and again the end of another exciting hunt. Only my second in 23 years. Yup I will keep swinging till year 25 if I can. It has been one hell of a year with yet a few more months to swing my coil. Keep swing yours my friends. Gary
 

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Upvote 22

digging440yrs

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Dec 5, 2012
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xcopperstax

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That's a pretty incredible find! I am not an expert on cannon balls but I know that it's rather rare that they are found with markings on them. I always enjoy your posts. I've read so many I feel like I can almost imagine being there on the hunt! It would be really neat to go up there someday and try to find a piece of the battle! Thanks as always for sharing!
 

smallfoot

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May 29, 2019
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Thanks for sharing..I got the thrill too!
 

CASPER-2

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Jan 3, 2012
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broad arrow is awesome find - should be on banner
1610813gpdl8fuylr.gif
 

WG2020

Sr. Member
Oct 9, 2018
470
686
SW Ohio
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Gary,

Thank you for another great account of your day spent swinging a coil. You had a number of great finds to include that amazing cannonball. Good luck with your hunts.

Walt
 

villagenut

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Oct 18, 2014
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Always like reading your posts, great history there at that site and artifacts to bring it all back to life:thumbsup:
 

Megalodon

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May 13, 2018
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broad arrow is awesome find - should be on banner
View attachment 1753874

Hi Casper,

I agree and you know - the banner requires our direct input. So I'll start the ball rolling by putting forth a banner nomination for the broad arrow and please consider doing the same. It is deserving and I can't remember seeing another up there.

Gary is more than a digger. He is a student of this battle and shares the knowledge. These finds add to our historical knowledge and are deserving of a banner. It is our way to say "thank you" for sharing pics of finds like this broad arrow when it would be easier to just stash it away and say nothing. His long dedication deserves our respect and appreciation. The least we can do is to nominate it for banner.
 

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Castineman1779

Sr. Member
Apr 30, 2013
269
919
Maine
🥇 Banner finds
1
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Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Hi Casper,

I agree and you know - the banner requires our direct input. So I'll start the ball rolling by putting forth a banner nomination for the broad arrow and please consider doing the same. It is deserving and I can't remember seeing another up there.

Gary is more than a digger. He is a student of this battle and shares the knowledge. These finds add to our historical knowledge and are deserving of a banner. It is our way to say "thank you" for sharing pics of finds like this broad arrow when it would be easier to just stash it away and say nothing. His long dedication deserves our respect and appreciation. The least we can do is to nominate it for banner.

Rick , Walt and the rest of u fine THers thanks for your comments and always happy to share my finds. Hell there is no fun squillling this history away and it needs to not only see the light of day after hundreds of years in the ground but can tell us the story of the fight for Liberty . It is our American heritage . Does my patriotic heart good to see u folks taking interest and hope I have maybe kept this history alive if only for a little while.
One thing I just learned and can share with u is how to tell an American cannon ball from a Brit one and just learned that yesterday . At least on my Deus. The other day I was testing my Deus out and used one of my 6 pound cannon balls. I put an American 6 lb ball on a table and turned my Deus the got a 29 reading on it in the "RELIC" mode. Thoght that odd since another one reads 40. So took a Brit 6 and indeed got a 40. I do know American's used bog iron to make their balls and why they are usually crude. The Brits Board of War were stickers for perfection and used their best iron and if a flaw in any balls got re melted . So I will have to assume any machine may read differently if your quest is fir big iron like cannon balls. Also recently just learned the two holes in my French 6 pounder I found in early April the reason why it has two holes. These were hot shot . Heated in an oven to fire on wooden ships of fortifications to start a fire and almost dry woods. THere would have been a tool used to lift the ball from the oven to the barrel. Here is that French ball. The one on the left. Right is a perfect spru mark Brit 6 .
BTW I appreciate the Banner thing but the rules are if u have a banner on now can't do another till it is off for 6 months. Thanks anyway guys. Gary
Here is my "Lipstick on a pig ah! cannon ball". Well happy face black majic marker. One of these from the FT Ti area just sold from a friend of mine recently with similar holes and expect French & Indian war , 1755-1763.
 

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Blak bart

Gold Member
Jun 6, 2016
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Nice work...lots of digging....banner on the broad arrow mark !! I have some nice cannon balls also....none marked, congrats !!
 

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Castineman1779

Sr. Member
Apr 30, 2013
269
919
Maine
🥇 Banner finds
1
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XP Deus, DFX
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Nice work...lots of digging....banner on the broad arrow mark !! I have some nice cannon balls also....none marked, congrats !!

Blak Bart right back at you on your Spanish silver and the 2nd. Must have been a double thrill . I know your going for the gold and wil indeed find it in coin or jewelry form. Congrats. G
 

Tnmountains

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Staff member
Jan 27, 2009
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South East Tennessee on Ga, Ala line
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For me that is a first. Solid shot with a broad arrow stamp! Provenance ! Lol Great site enjoyed the ride.
 

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Castineman1779

Sr. Member
Apr 30, 2013
269
919
Maine
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, DFX
Primary Interest:
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For me that is a first. Solid shot with a broad arrow stamp! Provenance ! Lol Great site enjoyed the ride.

Timountains. Thanks. Yes the Brits marked their balls, not all of them ,with the King's mark the "Broad Arrow" so they would not be pilfered off. At this site there were 1s, 4s, 6s and 12s with the mark. Also of note that French ball just listed has a poor Flur De les mark on it as well . The Brits captured a French ship called the Saint Helena and was brought into action against the Americans during the 3 week siege. She had 14-6 pounders on her . Here is a 6 Frenchie found 15 years ago with a solid Flur De Leis. , 4 pounder British Broad Arrow and a pair of ones the Brits called "Pills" . Might be the only battle/siege were the Brits used French balls. Odd but true .Gary
 

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