OLD Musket Ball

[pawelbiel]

I keep finding these laying around on one of the Maine coastal Islands.

thinking its a musket ball ? I found 5 laying on the ground in one spot. All look moon like half round. (perhaps they hit the target) and heavy for their size. They all have this white petina coloring. Can anyone help w identifying ?

 

[trapperart]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Almy]

I found one like that and wondered about it too. Like mine, yours looks like a perfect half sphere. The round side is truly round and the flat side truly flat. A musket ball hitting something would not look like that. Cutting a musket ball in half with a saw or knife would require a lot of force that would mark or distort it, and yours and mine appear to be perfect. About the only way I could think of making such a shape would be to use half of a musket ball mould. A fishing or net weight? But why this shape? I'd like to know more also.

 

[Phishfarmer]

What is it made of?

 

[smokeythecat]

Welcome. They certainly look like fired musket balls. The white patina is from lead oxide which forms naturally on the outside.

 

[Carolina Tom]

Welcome. Sure do look like fired musket balls. Dropped ones are round, often fired ones have a flat spot.

I believe that some were cut into game pieces too. But I’m leaning towards fired round balls.

Nice find and best of luck to you.

 

[Aureus]

They could be fired musket balls. I have found many similar ones. If they hit a hard surface they could turn this way.
Also, they could have partially melted laying next to a fire.

 

[MadTom]

They look perfectly flat, would be very surprised to find out they were fired musketballs. Definitely looks like half is missing, not crushed

 

[pawelbiel]

Thanks for all of yr posts Gentelman. I came upon one post describing "half moon" musket balls ?? They were apparently cast so they breakup upon contact to do more damage. So I guess its similar to shrapnel. Wandering about their age

 

[pawelbiel]

I think we def got musket balls. Not sure why their half spherical but they look identical to the revolutionary musket balls ---- (ex half )) )