Another Cannonball?

[snattsas]

I have what looks like a cannonball. It is spherical, cast iron with two cylindrical cavities. It is about 22 pounds and 5.8 inches in diameter. The major cavity is 2.4 inches diameter by 2.5 inches long. The minor cavity is 0.81 inches diameter by 2.8 inches long. The cavities are stacked on the same center line. It also has a large depression which I have seen in French cannonball photos. Please take a look at the attached photos and offer your opinion.

 

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[Kiros32]

I will defer to cannonballguy, but because its not perfectly round I would say not a cannonball. Maybe something like an old iron gate post cap? Something like this?

 

[Daryn]

I was thinking the same thing Kiros32 or maybe some kind of fillable counterweight. But if it is the French, you never know [emoji23]

 

[smokeythecat]

If you tried to fire that thing out of a cannon it would blow the cannon up.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Snattsas, welcome to TreasureNet's "What Is It?" forum, the best place on the internet to get unknown objects CORRECTLY identified.

I co-wrote a 552-page book about civil war (and earlier) artillery projectiles. So please take my word that your find definitely is not any kind of an Artillery ball. As Kiros 32 correctly indicated (and Smokeythecat suggested), actual cannonballs were very carefully manufactured to be perfectly round, with no bumps or flat-spots, truly spherical like a glass marble, so that they wouldn't jam in the cannonbarrel upon firing, causing the barrel to burst apart. Also, no cannonballs had a hole going all the way through them, from one side to the opposite side.

All that being said... you did the smart thing, posting it here for the What-Is-It? experts to identify. Never throw a possible relic away until you are CERTAIN it is worthless junk.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

Gate weight would be my guess

 

[snattsas]

Thank you Gentlemen. I appreciate you taking the time to help me. Best regards to all!