679 Cannonballs found

[liftloop]

me and my son realy injoy thoes cannon balls good job 8) to bad there no canon

 

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[cdltpx]

My uncle was a Marine he told us a story of when he and another Marine was left behind to guard an ammo depot and guess what they did most of the time they were there? They shot guns fired mortars tossed hand grenades you name it if it was in that building and they could use it they did. What you have unearthed was probably the same thing. Two dudes left behind nothing to do but blow stuff up.Great find

 

[mickk]

Reminds me of a mate who was in the british army in the 50s or 60s. He was told to clear out a warehouse one day that hadnt been opened for years. Opened the doors and found floor to ceiling racks of old ships cannonballs. Took one look and shut the door. I guess everyone has been doing that for 200 years or so, I reckon they are still there in Plymouth.

You move one, you have to move em all, count em, get rid of em, reams of paperwork, nah just leave em there.

 

[High Plains Digger]

Don H---for a friggin new guy, you are awsome!!!!!

As someone once explained to me, cannon balls have to be exact: exactly round, exactly smooth, exactly the right size, and therefore, exactly the right weight. If you have seams, or pour points (where the sprue was and maybe ground off, leaving a flat spot) or it is not a calibrated size, you have mill balls.

Guessing that you may be in the southern NM area, and in an area where there was mining--MILL BALLS. Remember, back then they were willing to truck (or wagon as the case may be) the ore many, many miles to the mill. One mill served a lot of territory. Mine area, mill balls.

And for those who say "cannon balls or mill balls, don't matter much" I would respond: I have several smaller and one large mill balls I would trade straight across for a real cannon ball.

 

[ColonialDude]

Don H---for a friggin new guy, you are awsome!!!!!

As someone once explained to me, cannon balls have to be exact: exactly round, exactly smooth, exactly the right size, and therefore, exactly the right weight. If you have seams, or pour points (where the sprue was and maybe ground off, leaving a flat spot) or it is not a calibrated size, you have mill balls.

This someone needs to check their facts. I don't have a single cannonball that does not show a seam and I would question cannonballs that don't.

That being said, I don't put a lot of stock in the balls in the original post being cannonballs.

 

[romeo-1]

Don H---for a friggin new guy, you are awsome!!!!!

As someone once explained to me, cannon balls have to be exact: exactly round, exactly smooth, exactly the right size, and therefore, exactly the right weight. If you have seams, or pour points (where the sprue was and maybe ground off, leaving a flat spot) or it is not a calibrated size, you have mill balls.

This someone needs to check their facts. I don't have a single cannonball that does not show a seam and I would question cannonballs that don't.

That being said, I don't put a lot of stock in the balls in the original post being cannonballs.

Yep...I just recently found a 4 and 8 pounder both with seams and the 4 pounder with a sprue.

 

[High Plains Digger]

Ok, from everything I have been told, if the ball wasn't perfect, as in having seams, it would go in the gun right or too much of the "explosion" would escape past the ball.

Let's hear from the guys from Virgina about this--they know their stuff. Then if I have to eat humble crow pie, then I will.
My only experience is that I purchased a cannon ball from a guy who said he found it on a gravel bar near the Hudson Bay Co. fort near Churchill, Canada. It had a lovely broad band around it that I thought would make a nice tight fit in the barrel. The "guy in the know" (who apparently has written several books) said no way for the above reasons and guaranteed mill ball. And there is mining in Churchill. That is the best I can share.

 

[High Plains Digger]

By the way, did any of y'all notice that we are here arguing over a post that started 4 1/2 years ago and he never came back to say what he had Still hope someone in the know will set us all straight. I have looked at a lot of mill balls in antique shops that didn't fit the standard diameter or weight as set down in the army charts. I am out of town and cannot reference those, but the standards are there.

 

[romeo-1]

By the way, did any of y'all notice that we are here arguing over a post that started 4 1/2 years ago and he never came back to say what he had Still hope someone in the know will set us all straight. I have looked at a lot of mill balls in antique shops that didn't fit the standard diameter or weight as set down in the army charts. I am out of town and cannot reference those, but the standards are there.

I for one do not need to be set straight...I've found cannonballs with seams and sprues...they are undoubtedly cannonballs. If your expert tells you different then he is wrong...guaranteed.

Please notice the seam in the small 4 pounder.

 

[ColonialDude]

yeah I am good too. I am not sure why we need someone from Virginia. I have dug enough cannonballs to know what they look like.

There is a seam on every single one of my 25 cannonballs. It is not as prominent on some as it is on others...but it's there on all of em'.

 

[High Plains Digger]

Pass the salt. I may have to send you a photo of my Hudson Bay Co. ball and see what you think, if his info is that far off. I am out of town, so keep an eye on this topic, if you would. I would be really happy to know I didn't get scammed out of $60.

Just for curiosity, are these Rev. War shot you both have, and if so, French, English or home made? The "source" was pretty much strict CW in his expertise, but that also may be inapplicable.

 

[ColonialDude]

Pass the salt. I may have to send you a photo of my Hudson Bay Co. ball and see what you think, if his info is that far off. I am out of town, so keep an eye on this topic, if you would. I would be really happy to know I didn't get scammed out of $60.

Just for curiosity, are these Rev. War shot you both have, and if so, French, English or home made? The "source" was pretty much strict CW in his expertise, but that also may be inapplicable.

I will admit to have VERY limited knowledge of Civil War cannonballs, but I do believe the solid shot would have been manufactured in the same manner and should have a mold seam.

All of my cannonballs range from the French and Indian War to the War of 1812, so 1750-1815 or so. I have French and British.

 

[romeo-1]

Like Colonial Dude I know little of civil war cannonballs.

Mine all date to the early 1700s.

 

[High Plains Digger]

So, any knowledge of HBC? I suppose they are a little later than yours. Mine is around 3 inches and has a equitorial band about 1 1/4 inches wide around it. Didn't look like a mill ball to me. Off the top of my old brain, I don't remember the name of the fort up in Churchill, but it was a big one, star shaped as I remember. Want to say Ft. Prince of Wales, but I know that's not right as I believe it was a French title.

 

[The Patriot]

yeah I am good too. I am not sure why we need someone from Virginia. I have dug enough cannonballs to know what they look like.

There is a seam on every single one of my 25 cannonballs. It is not as prominent on some as it is on others...but it's there on all of em'.

All of mine are the same too...some more prominent than others and mine range from mid to late 1700's

 

[Ocaliman]

To all of my knowlegable, and esteemed colleauges.. I would like to throw out another possibility as to what these are... Right now, the group is pretty much split, 50/50 on cannonballs and milling balls.. I have to say, that I know what these are, and how they came to be...

First, I will confirm that they are old... I will also confirm that they are Spanish... but they are not cannonballs nor are they mill balls... While doing some research , I found that this is a horde of... wait for it... BOCCE BALLS!!! Yes.. these are the missing bocce balls from the 1st Annual International Coed, Clothing Optional, Bocce/Yard Dart Championships of 1491..

Not unlike hockey, the rules state that the home team (the Spanish) are required to keep a certain amount of bocce balls and yard darts on hand. Unfortunately, the equipment manager, Francisco Allehandro Cesar de la Jesus misplaced the key to the bocce/yard dart equipment shed right before the championship match.. The other teams, who felt cheated out of their chance at glory, fame, girls , and all the free Spam that they could eat, left in a huff.. This caused an international incident , and was thus ordered by Queen Isabella of Spain to be stricken from the history books and to never be spoken of again, lest the guilty party be brought into the city square, and smacked about the head and chest area ...

I hope this bit of research has helped.. btw.. keep looking.. those arrowheads that we find in the plowed fields arent arrowheads at all.. You have stumbled into one of the team's lawn dart practice areas...

GL & HH

 

[romeo-1]

To all of my knowlegable, and esteemed colleauges.. I would like to throw out another possibility as to what these are... Right now, the group is pretty much split, 50/50 on cannonballs and milling balls.. I have to say, that I know what these are, and how they came to be...

First, I will confirm that they are old... I will also confirm that they are Spanish... but they are not cannonballs nor are they mill balls... While doing some research , I found that this is a horde of... wait for it... BOCCE BALLS!!! Yes.. these are the missing bocce balls from the 1st Annual International Coed, Clothing Optional, Bocce/Yard Dart Championships of 1491..

Not unlike hockey, the rules state that the home team (the Spanish) are required to keep a certain amount of bocce balls and yard darts on hand. Unfortunately, the equipment manager, Francisco Allehandro Cesar de la Jesus misplaced the key to the bocce/yard dart equipment shed right before the championship match.. The other teams, who felt cheated out of their chance at glory, fame, girls , and all the free Spam that they could eat, left in a huff.. This caused an international incident , and was thus ordered by Queen Isabella of Spain to be stricken from the history books and to never be spoken of again, lest the guilty party be brought into the city square, and smacked about the head and chest area ...

I hope this bit of research has helped.. btw.. keep looking.. those arrowheads that we find in the plowed fields arent arrowheads at all.. You have stumbled into one of the team's lawn dart practice areas...

GL & HH

Wow...you have way too much time on your hands...thanks for "contributing" to the debate...

 

[walhooey]

I am in agreement with the idea that these are not cannonball but ball mill crushing balls . I worked for the SP Railroad for years and when I first went to work there we had these coming through by the carload. You'll note that they are iron and in various sizes. This is how I've always seen them. They are fed into a big tumbler tank with the usually quartz ore and used to crush the ore to a fine powder, which is then processed across copper plates coated with mercury to create an amalgam with the gold. This amalgam is then processed in arsenic to separate the gold from the arsenic in a metal form. Walhooey

 

[kuger]

yep,Mill balls....................especially since I get the impression you found these in Calif

If it wasnt so far down a canyon to get em,I would go retreive the probably thousand I know of at a mill.They are not uncommon at all in the Mother Lode,and when we were kids we all said they were cannon balls too.I would like to see what Cannonballguy says??

 

[relicminer]

Just one of those would make a Metal Detectorist Career... Awesome find!