I SAID IT...I DID IT!!! MY PERSONAL GRAIL FIND...FINALLY

[romeo-1]

I've been detecting for 6 years and the one target that has been eluding me has been the cannonball. Well, that changed this morning! Winter is mostly for research and that is what I've been doing for the past several weeks. I've been studying text and maps of a large scale battle which took place in my area in the early 1700s. I knew I was getting close last week when i found the 26 pound mortar fragment. I used that information and found a map which steered me a couple kilometers away from the area I found the mortar frag. Now, it is winter so the ground is frozen solid and there is still a couple feet of snow. Luckily the area I am hunting is a tidal beach. It was a siege battle consisting of over 30 ships and 2000 men. The text i read detailed "two days of cannonballs and mortars raining down on the landing". The maps i found showed the landing about two kilometers from where I found the frag.

With this information in hand I set off this morning before the sun came up. My detecting time in this area is limited due to the tides. It was -24 degrees Celsius (-11 degrees Fahrenheit for my American friends) this morning but I was dressed for the conditions. Even so, I'm pretty sure I came close to frostbite in my fingers. Detecting these salty conditions are horrible but I was given a lesson after I posted looking for advice on the T-Net Fisher forum. I set my detector and off i went. I started finding musketballs soon after starting and was happy with that. About an hour in I was approaching the area detailed on the old maps and found two more chunks of mortar. I didn't bring these back as I just couldn't carry them. Soon after the second frag I got a nice overload signal which is what I was hoping for. I drove the shovel in and a couple inches down out popped my very first cannonball! I detected for another30 minutes and found a few more musketballs and decided to call it a day.

Cannonball is a 12 pounder! I haven't cleaned it up yet so not sure on any markings. The real funny part is I PM'd IronPatch yesterday to tell him about my plan for today. I told him that I could not imagine not finding a cannonball today! Psychic? NO! Research, perseverance and a little luck!

 

[Iron Patch]

Congrats on getting a personal goal that you earned through your research and braveing the elements! Surprised the detector worked, of course you could bundle up, but not Mr Fisher.

Don

I packed the extra batteries...just in case!

One time IH and I were on on a cold day, not that cold, but cold. I think it was the only time I was not prepared and had to buy some very cheap batteries from a small store to get me through. Between them being poor quality, and it being cold, 8AAs were only lasting me about 10 minutes. That reminds me of a digital camera I had about 10 years ago. I didn't have it long because you take 15 pictures and your batteries were dead... and that was in the house!

 

[Eric Willoughby]

Romeo, an hour between tides? Where the heck are you at?? Most tides are 4 hours or so apart. With such brief times like that between tides, I can imagine you running up and down the beach like a Sandpiper!

 

[HomesteadHunter]

Its a real pleasure reading your post, knowing how excited you are to have finally found a cannon ball. And what could be more rewarding than to have put the research time in like you did, and come home with the ultimate prize. As for condition, I was expecting the ball to be in much worse shape due to the salt exposure. Just curious, are you expecting to find any other relics?.....rifle pieces, buttons......

James.
HomesteadHunter

 

[Eric Willoughby]

Congradulations on finding your first cannonball, and it's a beautiful one too. When iit warms up, you should find so many of those that you will get sick of digging them. 30 ships firing for two days straight, that's alot of cannonballs lying around there.

 

[birdman]

Very,very cool! Congrats on meeting your goal!

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Congratulations! I knew you would dig one someday. Couldn't happen to a better person.

 

[romeo-1]

Its a real pleasure reading your post, knowing how excited you are to have finally found a cannon ball. And what could be more rewarding than to have put the research time in like you did, and come home with the ultimate prize. As for condition, I was expecting the ball to be in much worse shape due to the salt exposure. Just curious, are you expecting to find any other relics?.....rifle pieces, buttons......

James.
HomesteadHunter

Frankly I was somewhat surprised by the condition as well...but I'm not complaining! I cleaned it this afternoon and there are no marks. It is heavily pitted so there may have been a mark but it's gone. I would not expect to find anything here with the exception of lead and heavy iron. The salt would make short work of brass, silver, copper, etc I imagine. I did find several musketballs today so I know that lead will hold up.

 

[MaineRelic]

My sincere congradulations on your epic find ! It is a good feeling when your research and hard work pays off ! Like Ironpatch said. Who knows the finds that will show up there from that historic Battle when it all plays out. . MaineRelic

 

[BobinSouthVA]

wow thats awesome. I can imagine the feeling when you pulled it out.

Good Stuff

 

[kyphote]

Fantastic find and on my wish list, as well. Is there a fuse hole or is it solid shot? Well done!

 

[romeo-1]

Fantastic find and on my wish list, as well. Is there a fuse hole or is it solid shot? Well done!

No fuse hole...it's solid!

 

[HISPAN]

Nice Cannon ball ...congrats !
H

 

[gleaner1]

KABOOM!!. I am trying to imagine the scene on that beach so long ago. I have a feeling you will find a lot more there. Especially now that you nailed the curious nature of that 75 in the salt.

 

[Steve in PA]

Congratulations on setting a detecting goal and achieving it!
Scratch the cannonball off the list....what's next?

 

[CrazySlasher]

Fantastic find!

 

[ironhorse]

well now, you must have that grail list pretty much punched about now, I really can't think of too many more grails there could be out there for you, unless you know where some big ole hunks of gold might be strewn about ?
even though it's a first I doubt it will be a last, congrats on the twelve pounder, I remember when I dug my first 12 lb ironspud, it was a beautiful thing, I imagine you feel the same!

find of the month in Romeotopia!

 

[romeo-1]

Congratulations on setting a detecting goal and achieving it!
Scratch the cannonball off the list....what's next?

More cannonballs!

 

[cassbiz]

Absolutely fantastic. Perseverance paid off. Yes it was cold the last couple of days.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Congratulations on your great research there buddy!
Hope you find a lot more!
If you're ever interested in selling one of the many that I'm
sure you're going to find this year . . . just PM me!

Dave

 

[Bavaria Mike]

Congrats on the cannon ball! Of all the things I have found, the cannon ball is one of my favorites. I just preserved it a few weeks ago with wax. You would think there should be more however, they might be really deep. HH, Mike