Silver and Cannonballs?? Today *UPDATED WITH NEW PICS*

[bazinga]

I got out with Carl today at a spot where I dug a V Nickel and an Eagle Infantry button at last fall before it got too cold. Right before I met up with Carl I got a call from some other guys that I dig with locally and one of them had just dug an 1829 Half Cent... JEALOUS was I!

Today I got these 4 cannon ball type things? What are they exactly and how do I preserve them?

I also got a 1903-O Barber Dime and Carl got an 03 Indian Head.

Here are some of the trash finds from the site. I dug a lot more little scraps of iron and can chunks, but this was it as far as anything that I wasn't positive of it being new.

 

[ModernMiner]

Re: Silver and Cannonballs?? Today

Great finds Brian.
Here are a few web sites I had saved on cleaning methods. It is actually the same site, but two different methods. Maybe one of these would work for you:

http://www.civilwaroutpost.com/Cleaning Shells.htm

http://www.civilwaroutpost.com/Ironrelics.htm

Congrats. Looking forward to more.
-MM-

 

[99Brown]

Re: Silver and Cannonballs?? Today

Cool finds. I would have to vote on cannonballs as well. Very interesting.

 

[TxTim]

Re: Silver and Cannonballs?? Today

Nice finds!!!
You now have some very large balls!!!

 

[doyboy]

Re: Silver and Cannonballs?? Today

That Explorer kicks a$$! Way to go on the recoveries!

 

[Montana Jim]

Re: Silver and Cannonballs?? Today

Brian... if you google "Civil war dug relics" you'll get more sites than you know what to do with... often there are "Misc." sections loaded with random stuff... most of it identified, that should keep you busy for a while!

 

[Froggie]

Re: Silver and Cannonballs?? Today

Prison escapee's or a divorce maybe?

 

[lionhrt9]

Re: Silver and Cannonballs?? Today

If you have just recovered cannon balls just 2 hours south of me, everything I have been told about CW relics in central/northern Indiana is going out of the window. Excellent finds bro. I can just hope that they get verified somehow. Also about preserving them, take a peek in preservation section of TNet, or Google it, I have read about preserving them.

Just dont blow up you Gfriends stove, not good. NOT GOOD.

HH, and excited about your finds man. Keep it up and when you get a chance email the exact location of the spot!!! ROAD TRIP!!!

 

[dr-quest]

Re: Silver and Cannonballs?? Today

Look like they could be cannon balls.What else could they be.Giant bearings from a mill wheel?.Maybee older then cival war.Let us see em after cleaning.Great find
HH

 

[silverswede]

Re: Silver and Cannonballs?? Today

There may be one other possibility. If they are steel instead of lead they could be from an old ball mill. It's kinda like putting them in a cement mixer to break up soft rock, ore, etc. Maybe some one can describe it better. They were used a lot in mining areas for ore crushing and are found frequently around here.

 

[romeo-1]

Re: Silver and Cannonballs?? Today

Cool finds...I am still looking for a cannonball...I have a lead on where I can find them but the ground is not cooperating...yet.

 

[bazinga]

Re: Silver and Cannonballs?? Today

If you have just recovered cannon balls just 2 hours south of me, everything I have been told about CW relics in central/northern Indiana is going out of the window. Excellent finds bro. I can just hope that they get verified somehow. Also about preserving them, take a peek in preservation section of TNet, or Google it, I have read about preserving them.

Just dont blow up you Gfriends stove, not good. NOT GOOD.

HH, and excited about your finds man. Keep it up and when you get a chance email the exact location of the spot!!! ROAD TRIP!!!

What have you been told about CW relics in Indiana? I know that they had to travel from Indiana and Michigan and go south, so they had to camp somewhere every night. So there must be sites to be found somewhere.

I think there are too many guys around here that would also want to know the location of this spot. But it is sooo loaded with random scraps of metal that it would take years to hunt, that's for sure!

But if there were people camped here during the civil war era then I am excited because there might be some old seated coins in the field somewhere!

 

[lionhrt9]

Re: Silver and Cannonballs?? Today

Same as youve been told, they just moved through. We got the boys in the south pullin those balls cause of all the battle fields. What are part in that was our state motto, and that is about it. There is no doubt that they had to camp but to find cannon balls would be a wonderful find in our neck of the woods. Heck research it, i dont know if a cannon ball has EVER been recovered in Cen/Northern IN.

Man im I stoked to seen those things cleaned up!!!

 

[bazinga]

Re: Silver and Cannonballs?? Today

Same as youve been told, they just moved through. We got the boys in the south pullin those balls cause of all the battle fields. What are part in that was our state motto, and that is about it. There is no doubt that they had to camp but to find cannon balls would be a wonderful find in our neck of the woods. Heck research it, i dont know if a cannon ball has EVER been recovered in Cen/Northern IN.

Man im I stoked to seen those things cleaned up!!!

I was excited to find them as well.

The place is loaded with LARGE square nails, so there could have been some large structures there at one point, who knows. I just hope this spot turns up more. It's tough to detect though because of all of the corn stalks.

 

[lionhrt9]

Re: Silver and Cannonballs?? Today

Same as youve been told, they just moved through. We got the boys in the south pullin those balls cause of all the battle fields. What are part in that was our state motto, and that is about it. There is no doubt that they had to camp but to find cannon balls would be a wonderful find in our neck of the woods. Heck research it, i dont know if a cannon ball has EVER been recovered in Cen/Northern IN.

Man im I stoked to seen those things cleaned up!!!

I was excited to find them as well.

The place is loaded with LARGE square nails, so there could have been some large structures there at one point, who knows. I just hope this spot turns up more. It's tough to detect though because of all of the corn stalks.

OLD fort?? No way Ya know, could have been an old farm place and the fella had them sittin on his dirt floor 100 years ago!!

 

[Southcacalaky]

Great Looking finds there. trk5capt may be able to give you some good restoration advice. He has found several types and could give you some very good information. Congrats, Art...

 

[EDDE]

fort then farm house then school then farm feild
sounds like a good approach to the items

 

[JerV3]

Those are nice Bsco.

My brother pulled up a big old cannon shot like that a few months back at a old cellar hole. We cracked it all down with a hammer. Then polished it out.

It looks great to. I think they are 3 pounders but I'm not sure. We still don't know what battle it would have been used at.

HH Jer

 

[lionhrt9]

Those are nice Bsco.

My brother pulled up a big old cannon shot like that a few months back at a old cellar hole. We cracked it all down with a hammer. Then polished it out.

It looks great to. I think they are 3 pounders but I'm not sure. We still don't know what battle it would have been used at.

HH Jer

This is my point, i dont think these were shot at all, appearance and cause of location, they really didnt have much to shoot at cept target practice. Very strange, research of the area. Will PM Brian and find out.

 

[The Seeker]

Very nice......just clean them babies up with a wire brush (brass) and spray them with a rust inhibiter and then seal them with a paste wax! Great job! HH

 

[contractorod]

Maybe an old house sight and someone left a part of there personal collection of civil war relics behind?Too heavy to lug away to there new home? Just some thoughts