✅ SOLVED Is this a small cannon ball?

[Hunter612]

I have this small heavy metal ball. I don't know if it is a cannon ball or not. Anybody know? Thanks for looking!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Your "Is it a cannonball?" question cannot be answered with certainty until you remove some rust-crust from opposite sides of the ball so you can accurately measure its diameter super-precisely with a Digital Caliper -- and also, weigh the ball on a Postal Shipping scale (not a household bathroom's weighing-scale) and tell us its precise weight in pounds and ounces. Then, we will compare the diameter & weight with the charts in the Artillery Ordnance Manual, to see if there's an exact match-up there with your ball's diameter and weight. www.civilwarartillery.com/shottables.htm (The Ordnance Manual's charts show the precise diameter and weight of artillery balls used in America from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War.)

 

[Hunter612]

Your "Is it a cannonball?" question cannot be answered with certainty until you remove some rust-crust from opposite sides of the ball so you can accurately measure its diameter super-precisely with a Digital Caliper -- and also, weigh the ball on a Postal Shipping scale (not a household bathroom's weighing-scale) and tell us its precise weight in pounds and ounces. Then, we will compare the diameter & weight with the charts in the Artillery Ordnance Manual, to see if there's an exact match-up there with your ball's diamter and weight. www.civilwarartillery.com/shottables.htm

What is the best way to get some of the rust off?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

To do caliper measuring of an uncleaned dug iron ball, I use a hammer to gently tap the rust-crust off of some small spots on opposite sides of the ball.

It's best to measure a ball's diameter in at least three directions, because that how you tell if the ball is out-of-round. But seeing photo #3, which shows one side of your dug ball is already pretty clean, you can measure it in two directions (let's say, north-to-south and west-to-east) without having to do any encrustation removal. For the third measurement, clean a small spot directly opposite from the center of the clean side.

If you don't have access to a large-enough caliper (it jaws must fit across the ball), you can use what is called a Diameter-Tape. But the tape MUST be positioned exactly on the ball's "equator" to get accurate measurement. See one of Diameter-Tape in a photo (and info) here: http://www.pochefamily.org/books/SolidShotEssentialsMod.html

Precision weighing can also tell whether a ball is at least "possibly" a cannonball or not. For example, the Ordnance Manual specifies that a civil war 12-Pounder caliber Solid Shot cannonball should weigh 12.25 pounds (12 lb 4 oz). I should mention that it can also weigh an ounce or two less, due to casting-flaw bubbles inside the 19th-Century cast iron. But if a solid (not hollow) ball weighs right-at 12.0 pounds, it is a Sports Shot-Put ball (from the 12-pound Weight Class of that sport.) For fairness in Sports competition, the Sports Shot-Put balls are very carefully manufactured to always weigh exactly 12-pounds... because it is unfair if the other team's ball weighs 12.0 pounds and your team's ball even a little bit less than theirs.

So, the very first thing I'd do with your solid (not hollow) ball is weigh it on a Postal Shipping scale. If its weight is more than an ounce or two different from any Solid balls in the Ordnance Mnual's charts, it cannot be a cannonball.

For your sake, I hope it is a cannonball. Based on comparing its size with your hand in the photo, it MIGHT be a civil war 6-Pounder caliber Solid Shot cannonball, which was specified to be 3.58-inches in diamter and weigh 6.1 pounds (6 pounds 1.6 ounces).

Do you know if there was ever a battle involving the use of cannons anywhere near where you found that ball?

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

HMM it could be a ball for a ball mill, about the size for new balls.

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[Hunter612]

I have no clue were it was found. I bought it at an estate auction. There was a lot of civil war artifacts at the auction. I just assumed it was a cannon ball. I paid $10 for it so if it isn't I won't take a big loss. I am going to try to measure it later. I am not going to be home for a few days so it may be awhile.

 

[Hunter612]

I measured the diameter as accurately as I could and I came up with 3.56 inches. I weighed it on a scale that was my grandpas and it was just a little less than 6.1 pounds. Not even an ounce less. It might be because there is a very small chunk out of it that is barely noticeable.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Those measurements match up within the "Tolerances" in the specifications in the Ordnance Manual for a civil war era 6-pounder caliber Solid Shot cannonball.

Do you know if there was ever a battle involving the use of cannons anywhere near where you found that ball? By "near" I mean with a few miles.)

Usually, when we relic hunters find an actual cannonball, there are other Military relics from the same time-period nearby.

By the way... with Solid-Shot balls, it's usually pretty difficult to tell which side in the war manufactured the ball. With "fuzed" (explosive) cannonballs, the fuze's form is an ID-clue about the ball's nationality. But, with solids, we lack that clue. Some people think the presence or absence of a casting-mold seam on the ball tells you whether it is a USA or CSA ball... but there's also a mold seam on MOST cannonballs from the Colonial era, and also on Mill-Balls from the Mining-&-Stonemilling industry.

 

[Hunter612]

Those measurements match up within the "Tolerances" in the specifications in the Ordnance Manual for a civil war era 6-pounder caliber Solid Shot cannonball.

Do you know if there was ever a battle involving the use of cannons anywhere near where you found that ball? By "near" I mean with a few miles.)

Usually, when we relic hunters find an actual cannonball, there are other Military relics from the same time-period nearby.

By the way... with Solid-Shot balls, it's usually pretty difficult to tell which side in the war manufactured the ball. With "fuzed" (explosive) cannonballs, the fuze's form is an ID-clue about the ball's nationality. But, with solids, we lack that clue. Some people think the presence or absence of a casting-mold seam on the ball tells you whether it is a USA or CSA ball... but there's also a mold seam on MOST cannonballs from the Colonial era, and also on Mill-Balls from the Mining-&-Stonemilling industry.

I didn't find it. I bought it at an auction for $10 hoping it was a cannon ball. I am in tennessee so I would think it is from tennessee. It was consigned to the auction by a mans family and they said he was a treasure hunter but they didn't know where he got it. Would it be worth anything since I don't know where it came from?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

It's unfortunate that that cannonball's heritage (the location where it was excavated) has been lost.

At the various civil war relic shows here in Virginia, an excavated 6-pounder Soild-Shot in "as dug" (uncleaned, rust-&-dirt-encrusted) condition sells for about $90-$100, unless it is badly corrosion-pitted. The same thing, after being cleaned by Electrolysis and coated with Satin-finish Polyurethane sealant, will sell for $125 to $150, depending on how smooth or how corrosion-pitted it is. That's the Retail price. The Wholesale price (what a dealer will pay for it) is of course less than the Retail price. You might be able to get a bit more than the Virginia price by selling it in a state where civil war cannonballs are less common than they are in Virginia.

 

[Hunter612]

It's unfortunate that that cannonball's heritage (the location where it was excavated) has been lost.

At the various civil war relic shows here in Virginia, an excavated 6-pounder Soild-Shot in "as dug" (uncleaned, rust-&-dirt-encrusted) condition sells for about $90-$100, unless it is badly corrosion-pitted. The same thing, after being cleaned by Electrolysis and coated with Satin-finish Polyurethane sealant, will sell for $125 to $150, depending on how smooth or how corrosion-pitted it is. That's the Retail price. The Wholesale price (what a dealer will pay for it) is of course less than the Retail price. You might be able to get a bit more than the Virginia price by selling it in a state where civil war cannonballs are less common than they are in Virginia.

Ok. Thanks for your help!