Try this one on for size. I am following one of the wings of Sherman's march through Georgia. I recently came upon a location that was obviously a Picket Post next to a roadway that was used in the march.
I found 8 dropped projectiles there all within 12 feet of each other. Four of them were Williams Type III cleaners, 2 were Three Ringers and 1 appeared to be a Sharpe's Carbine, (I found the casing nearby), and one was a pistol bullet. They were all in the same sandy soil and had all been laying there obviously since 1864. The Sharpe's and Williams were the usual bright white color but the Three Ringers were a darker dull grey.I have included a photo but the color doesn't come out well in the light I took the photos in. You will have to take my word for it.
It appears by this group of finds, which were dropped together in identical soil, that maybe the purity of the lead content of the projectile can also play a role in the color after being buried for so long. The manufacture process at different locations included differing amounts of lead vs other impurities that made their way into the process. The temperature at which the lead was melted could have also played a role in how it later reacted to ground conditions over the years. I have found many projectiles in other areas side by side that were of differing colors. One Confederate Projectile I found was a deep brown color and was surrounded by Federal Types that were the usual white and grey.
It is my opinion that soil does play a role but that the purity of the lead content of the bullet and other factors also plays a role in the ultimate color after 145+ years in the ground.
I posted the story of these finds in another posting.
