Need help identifying this solid shot ball - Cannon Ball Guy?

[Steve in PA]

This ball is 2.35" diameter and weighs 1.875 pounds. It was found two or three miles north of the Antietam battle field. It was found in the front yard of a period house where I found a cartridge box plate last year, and the front of the house (facing the battle field) has a hole in it where a projectile used to be stuck, but was stolen. The only thing that matches up in the shot charts is a ball from a stand of grape for an 18 pounder gun. But from what I understand, grape was obsolete by the civil war, replaced by canister. So what do we have here?

 

[flyadive]

Yeah .. That's all I found also...
Can you make out the mold seams??

 

[Steve in PA]

Yes it has a mold seam. It is at my parents house and hasn't been cleaned yet. There isn't too much corrosion on it though.

 

[flyadive]

There isn't too much corrosion on it though.

Depending on the soil conditions of where the cannonball was found , could make a big difference between how quickly it corrodes. There are literally thousands of variables in soil condition that will affect it!