mid-late 1700s powder kegs, anyone know

Mystro7

Hero Member
Mar 30, 2005
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I am trying to find out how big a "powder keg" was during the 1700's. I have been looking online but cannot find anything. I also am wondering about the 1700 fur trading days, they used to get payed in gold and silver bars. I am looking for any info on the size of these bars. Any info would be greatly appreciated in my research. With all the smart people on this forum im sure there is someone here that can help me out. Untill then Ill keep searching online. Thanks!
 

Siegfried Schlagrule

Bronze Member
Mar 19, 2003
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Indiana
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All types of BFOs owned. Especially want White's Arrow; White's Oremaster; Exanimo Spartan Little Monster; Garrett contract Little Monster.
Try contacting the Hudson Bay company archives if you can find them or their historical museum. Look in Canada first as they had way more post up there trhan they did in the US. I seem to recall that they had US posts in washington, Oregon, Utah, Idaho and maybe a few other states along the northern border. My best bet for contacting them would be through the website of the Washington state historical society. exanimo, ss
 

fencer

Newbie
Dec 25, 2005
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Mystro7 said:
I am trying to find out how big a "powder keg" was during the 1700's. I have been looking online but cannot find anything. I also am wondering about the 1700 fur trading days, they used to get payed in gold and silver bars. I am looking for any info on the size of these bars. Any info would be greatly appreciated in my research. With all the smart people on this forum im sure there is someone here that can help me out. Untill then Ill keep searching online. Thanks!

Well, first I'd need to know what *kind* of gunpowder you are ref'ing, then what nation it would be from. The English had 5 different sized kegs in use in the first half of the 1700's - say from 1700 to 1750 or so, after which the number jumps to 7...

The smallest would be about the size of a pony keg, with three arrow hashes inside a bullseye pattern to indicate that it was extra fine grade priming powder. This powder was poured into hollow goose qwills which were then inserted into the touch hole as a fuse. The next size up and on are base again upon the type (grain size) of the powder, the largest being the size of a hogshead and containing grains the size of a marble...

Let me know?

F
 

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