Cannonball Id help needed

[Treasuremagnet]

The fuse hole is threaded, you can see a seam on it, it weighs 2.6lbs, approx 3 inches across & 10 inches around, and has a star stamped on it and above the star looks like maybe an "S" Any help would be appreciated I got it in an estate clean out in southern NH. Thanks for looking!

 

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[mkulltra]

Nevermind..just looked it up

 

[Treasuremagnet]

I was thinking the same about it being a grenade but thought it would be pretty heavy to throw any distance. It could be any type of fragmenting cannonball, mortar, grenade, artillery, cluster shot, ect, but I chose the term cannonball because I just thought it best described what it looked like at first glance. In fact, I was even thinking it could have been a topper for an old iron fence. I have been looking at hundreds of google images and books this week and see lots of stuff that is close, but nothing so far that jumps out as definite.

 

[lookinfotreastreas23]

Are you sure it is not an old bowling ball used by someone with one finger?

 

[mkulltra]

It is a cannonball. I was reading about it and the cannonball's fuse lights in the cannon's explosion. This causes the cannonball to explode once it's down range. Sometimes the cannonball fuse doesn't light and they have been found with the fuse still in them.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

I don't think this is a cannon ball, that seam and the fact that it looks out of round slightly would make it dangerous to load since it could jam in the barrel. Post it over in the What Is It section, there are folks there who can tell you more, but I think it's more likely some sort of counter weight or decorative piece.

 

[Tallone]

The threaded hole makes me think it is some sort of finial but I'm just guessing.

 

[diggummup]

The resident cannon ball expert is TheCannonballGuy http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/members/3270.html Try contacting him. He will want exact measurements (w/calipers) and weight though. Some confederate and pre civil war cannonballs do have a seam. Don't know if they are that pronounced though, I thought they hand filed them smooth.