Iron? grapeshot? Case shot? found near Fort Ticonderoga NY

[cbash83]

Not real sure what this is..... was found in the ground near Fort Ticonderoga New York. I was told by someone that it was grapeshot from the Revolutionary War, but isn't it too small to be grapeshot? The measurements are about 7/8 of an inch and it weighs about 2 ounces. As you can tell from the picture it's a little bit smaller than the quarter (just hope it's worth more than the quarter ) Any help on this would be great and if you need any other pictures just let me know. There is also a hole in one side of it (maybe just a molding imperfection?)

Thanks!

 

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[DCMatt]

I think the size is ok for grapeshot. It is the hole that makes me think it is more likely a finial off a fence or an andiron or a day bed...



DCMatt

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

At 7/8-inch in diameter, the iron ball is not an artillery projectile. Statement is based on the lack of any iron balls of that size in the Shot Tables from the Ordnance Manual of 1861 (which lists all the sizes of cannonballs, Grapeshot balls, and Canister balls used by American and British armies in the Revolutionary War through the Civil War. www.civilwarartillery.com/shottables.htm

Also, being found at/near Fort Ticonderoga, it cannot be a Case-Shot ball, because Case-Shot did not exist during the time of artillery activity at Fort Ticonderoga (mid-to-late-1700s).

About the hole in it:
A casting-flaw hole is caused by an air bubble in the molten iron during casting, and thus is never a straight-walled cylindrical hole, like a mounting-hole is. So, closely examine the hole in that ball. If it is circular and goes straight down into the ball, it is a mounting-hole.

 

[cbash83]

The hole is not cylindrical and has no threading. It does look as if it could have been caused by an air bubble because it is not an even hole and hollows out a little more when you shine a light down into it. Any other ideas as to what it could be? It almost looks too big to be a musketball....could it be something from the French and Indian War? I know that Fort Tichonderoga was used during that time period as well. I'm not real sure what kind of projectiles were used during that period..

 

[PASoldier1755]

I just wanted to tell you that sure looks to me like a British hand grenade from the French and Indian war peroid

 

[PASoldier1755]

The hole is for a fuse the British grenadiers carried them