🔎 UNIDENTIFIED I need help identifying these balls

Truth

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Apr 13, 2016
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32,142
Abita Springs La....Born in New Orleans
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2
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1
Detector(s) used
EQUINOX 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting

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Fat

Bronze Member
Oct 22, 2020
2,191
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Nebraska panhandle/NE Colorado
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I took the battery out because I like my bacon crispy
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...those are neat. Get a caliper and measure them across, in inches not metric and a scale to find out how many pounds and ounces plz.
I think they are cannon balls but I’m just learning about them too. The cannonballguy will be along tomorrow..
 

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OP
OP
Truth

Truth

Gold Member
Apr 13, 2016
14,332
32,142
Abita Springs La....Born in New Orleans
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
EQUINOX 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
...those are neat. Get a caliper and measure them across, in inches not metric and a scale to find out how many pounds and ounces plz.
I think they are cannon balls but I’m just learning about them too. The cannonballguy will be along tomorrow..
All right Fat I’ll do it right now I don’t think they’re cannonballs because they’re not made of iron
 

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traveller777

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Aug 20, 2017
5,432
17,431
East Tennessee
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Minelab CTX 3030 & Explorer
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My scale doesn’t go that high and my My electronic ruler needs a battery :-(
You might try taking two 2X4 blocks, or some similar size wood, making sure cut at 90 degrees , and stand directly across on either side. Then use a tape or ruler to measure across. Any two objects with a good 90 degree angle will work, even thick hard copy book would give generally close measurement.

And if not iron, what material do you think they are? Nice find anyway. Interesting.
 

Upvote 3

traveller777

Gold Member
Aug 20, 2017
5,432
17,431
East Tennessee
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Minelab CTX 3030 & Explorer
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You might try taking two 2X4 blocks, or some similar size wood, making sure cut at 90 degrees , and stand directly across on either side. Then use a tape or ruler to measure across. Any two objects with a good 90 degree angle will work, even thick hard copy book would give generally close measurement.

And if not iron, what material do you think they are? Nice find anyway. Interesting.
And also, you said not iron. They are not ferrous? A magnet is not attracted to them?
 

Upvote 3

Red-Coat

Gold Member
Dec 23, 2019
5,172
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Surrey, UK
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Just a guess, but there was a company called “Monarch Metal Co.” in Chicago in the 1900s who made industrial equipment and components in brass, bronze and speciality metals using the trade name “Monarch Ball Metal”. Presumably this was some kind of alloy with a proprietary composition.

Your balls appear to have the letters “MET…” after the words “MONARCH BALL”, so I would think it might say “MONARCH BALL METAL”.

This company made heavy duty bearings among other things, but a bearing ball wouldn’t have a threaded hole in it. I wonder if what you have might be “governor balls” (also known as “fly-balls”) which were used as the centrifugal weights on governors for steam-powered equipment. This kind of thing:

Governor.jpg
 

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Fat

Bronze Member
Oct 22, 2020
2,191
6,887
Nebraska panhandle/NE Colorado
Detector(s) used
I took the battery out because I like my bacon crispy
Primary Interest:
Other
Just a guess, but there was a company called “Monarch Metal Co.” in Chicago in the 1900s who made industrial equipment and components in brass, bronze and speciality metals using the trade name “Monarch Ball Metal”. Presumably this was some kind of alloy with a proprietary composition.

Your balls appears to have the letters “MET…” after the word “MONARCH”, so I would think it might say “MONARCH METAL”.

This company made heavy duty bearings among other things, but a bearing ball wouldn’t have a threaded hole in it. I wonder if what you have might be “governor balls” (also known as “fly-balls”) which were used as the centrifugal weights on governors for steam-powered equipment. This kind of thing:

View attachment 2004466
...gosh I hope so...
 

Upvote 3

pepperj

Gold Member
Feb 3, 2009
36,801
136,056
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Deus, Deus 2, Minelab 3030, E-Trac,
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Relic Hunting
Upvote 3
OP
OP
Truth

Truth

Gold Member
Apr 13, 2016
14,332
32,142
Abita Springs La....Born in New Orleans
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
EQUINOX 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
You might try taking two 2X4 blocks, or some similar size wood, making sure cut at 90 degrees , and stand directly across on either side. Then use a tape or ruler to measure across. Any two objects with a good 90 degree angle will work, even thick hard copy book would give generally close measurement.

And if not iron, what material do you think they are? Nice find anyway. Interesting.
To be honest with you I don’t know it’s soft enough that it could take a scratch or a gash but I have found a cannonball and grape shot and they were always in a shell of rust that I would have to do electroless us these are different I’m puzzled
 

Upvote 1
OP
OP
Truth

Truth

Gold Member
Apr 13, 2016
14,332
32,142
Abita Springs La....Born in New Orleans
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
EQUINOX 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Just a guess, but there was a company called “Monarch Metal Co.” in Chicago in the 1900s who made industrial equipment and components in brass, bronze and speciality metals using the trade name “Monarch Ball Metal”. Presumably this was some kind of alloy with a proprietary composition.

Your balls appear to have the letters “MET…” after the words “MONARCH BALL”, so I would think it might say “MONARCH BALL METAL”.

This company made heavy duty bearings among other things, but a bearing ball wouldn’t have a threaded hole in it. I wonder if what you have might be “governor balls” (also known as “fly-balls”) which were used as the centrifugal weights on governors for steam-powered equipment. This kind of thing:

View attachment 2004466
A red coat that looks possible only the big one has the thread the other two just have the markings
 

Upvote 1

DCMatt

Gold Member
Oct 12, 2006
10,356
13,478
Herndon Virginia
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 600, EX II, & Musketeer, White's Classic
Primary Interest:
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From:

"Geo. B. Carpenter & Co. Catalogue No. 100 : Manufacturers and Jobbers of Mill, Railroad and Contractors' Supplies" 1911​

BABBITT METAL
Genuine Babbitt
Extra.
No. 1.
No. 2.
No. 3.
No. I.
MONARCH BALL METAL
per lb., f
In 56 lb. boxes
il_1588xN.2567866867_r7vs.jpg
 

Upvote 4

Brokenbear

Greenie
Dec 26, 2021
17
44
This likely means nothing to this quest but weren't there in the early years before better metals were created.. "ball mills" that were designed to crush stuff anywhere from gold ore to whatever ..using ball size, weight, diameter. metal make-up and screen sizing to create the desired finished product dimensions?

Bear
 

Upvote 0

Red-Coat

Gold Member
Dec 23, 2019
5,172
16,240
Surrey, UK
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
This likely means nothing to this quest but weren't there in the early years before better metals were created.. "ball mills" that were designed to crush stuff anywhere from gold ore to whatever ..using ball size, weight, diameter. metal make-up and screen sizing to create the desired finished product dimensions?

Bear

Indeed there were, but they wouldn't have a threaded hole in them... although the two smaller balls are being said not to have the threaded hole that the larger one has.

I'm doubtful that metal supplied in 'ingot' form would have a threaded hole either, and large balls would be a rather space-inefficient shape for transporting it... but perhaps that's why it was called "ball metal".

My other guess is that the letters interpreted as "RATMA..." are actually the beginning of a patent reference that reads "PAT MARCH [or May] XX, XXXX".
 

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