So I found something that looks like a mini cannon ball, but??

[1869er]

I went back to the old military Fort today built in the 1830's and hunted around a bit. Found nothing all that interesting this time, however, I did find a metallic ball, that looks like a mini cannon ball, if fact I felt certain that it was some kind of artillery projectile except after a closer look... I believe it's made of solid copper?? First search on google, lead me back here to this thread...

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php?topic=436917.0

They say in the thread that they aren't cannonballs, however, still, no one really knows what it is for certain in the thread. Maybe for ball milling black gunpowder? Has anyone positively identified what these things are??

My copper ball was also found a few hundred yards away from the general vicinity of the old Fort. It was rather deep too... Probably about 10-12 inches deep in the ground.

Has any new information come to light about what these copper balls actually are, or where used for??

 

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[tennessee digger]

It looks like a cannister ball or grape shot to me. If it is made of copper then it would be something else. It looks also to be made of iron. Tennessee digger

 

[wwwtimmcp]

the british used a 1.5" swivel gun for years, I found one in lake erie, try www.waymarking.com 1.5" swivel gun.

 

[Roger Mn.]

I hope you have better luck getting the copper or brass ball ID. I re measured the one I have and it's 1 7/8 insted of 1 3/8 like I posted.

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,186640.msg1371728.html#msg1371728

 

[Steve in PA]

The Spanish and Mexicans frequently used bronze cannonballs, grape and cannister shot. Here are a couple examples along with an iron American cannister shot and some .72 caliber Mexican musketballs found many years ago on the 1846 Palo Alto battlefield in Texas.

 

[tennessee digger]

Good info Steve. Tennessee digger

 

[1869er]

Thanks for the replys... Well, this ball seems to be solid copper... Actually, the side I photographed has a very dark patina, and looks a lot like iron... However, the other side has a bit of the crustyness flaked off, and definitely appears to be copper. My question is, if these copper balls are from pumps, why don't people usually find the rest of the pump with them? Or even broken pieces of the antique pump they come from? Seems like quite a few folks around here have found them, and many of those seem to show up nearby old military sites.

I did find this link... http://www.ehow.co.uk/list_6895051_ball-mill-components.html which shows modern copper balls for ball milling. Also I have read on another site that during the civil war... Each side definitely had mills set up specifically for gunpowder. At the same time, my mystery ball looks a heck of a lot like one of those mexican canister balls... However I found this in central Florida... Kinda far away from the Mexican border.

I sure wish it was a canister shot... That would be pretty cool to find... Even an old gun powder milling ball is kind of cool... I'd rather believe it was one of those instead of a part from a pump. Heh.

 

[Roger Mn.]

The site you posted refers to steel balls made in china. If you click on the picture to enlarge it the balls are glass Christmas bulbs. roger

 

[Steve in PA]

I don't know what era your fort is from, but if there was any interaction with the Spanish there, it could very well be of Mexican origin. The Spanish made bronze shot in Mexico for centuries.

 

[1869er]

Rodger, wow you were right... Good call! Those are Christmas bulbs... Funny I didn't blow up the photo and assumed they were copper spheres. However I'd agree with a posting someone made in the other link I posted. Something about the key being that it's copper, and copper doesn't spark.

Steve... I suppose it's possible that the Spanish were in the area... Desoto was definitely in the general area. But that was way before the fort was there since it was built as a stronghold for the second Seminal war in the 1830's.

 

[Bell]

Its canister shot. Both mexico and Spain used copper\brass canister shot. That looks just like the ones I've seen dug around the san jacinto battlefield. They were fired by the mexicans and that was 1836. There were also four or six pound copper balls fired on the alamo. I'm sure if you google texas revolution and canister shot you can find photos.

 

[1869er]

Wow... This is a long shot, heh, no pun intended...
And, I seriously kind of doubt this is what I've got... But Desoto and the Spanish did very likely land, less than 10 miles from where I dug this up. But that was like 300 years earlier than even when the fort was built. From my research, once they made landfall, they headed in the opposite direction, due North... But who knows? It's not out of the range of possibilities I suppose. I can tell you one thing, I'd like to believe this is what I've got here.. Heh!

Any Florida history buffs out there? Have they found Copper canister shot from the Spanish before on the West coastal areas of Florida?

 

[Steve in PA]

Wow... This is a long shot, heh, no pun intended...
And, I seriously kind of doubt this is what I've got... But Desoto and the Spanish did very likely land, less than 10 miles from where I dug this up. But that was like 300 years earlier than even when the fort was built. From my research, once they made landfall, they headed in the opposite direction, due North... But who knows? It's not out of the range of possibilities I suppose. I can tell you one thing, I'd like to believe this is what I've got here.. Heh!

Any Florida history buffs out there? Have they found Copper canister shot from the Spanish before on the West coastal areas of Florida?

If anyone would know it would be John Powell, who runs this website. Get in touch with him through the website and ask him if any Spanish bronze cannonballs, grape or cannister shot have ever turned up in Florida. Here is the link.
http://www.artifacts.org/default.htm

 

[Roger Mn.]

Rodger, wow you were right... Good call! Those are Christmas bulbs... Funny I didn't blow up the photo and assumed they were copper spheres. However I'd agree with a posting someone made in the other link I posted. Something about the key being that it's copper, and copper doesn't spark.

Steve... I suppose it's possible that the Spanish were in the area... Desoto was definitely in the general area. But that was way before the fort was there since it was built as a stronghold for the second Seminal war in the 1830's.

Ya I thought that the Christmas bulbs was funny. I looked over the ball I have and it looks like copper. I also read that the smaller the copper balls the finer the powder.
I laid the copper ball on a tape measure and held it against the wall and looked straight down and it looked like 1 7/8 inches. Is the one you have the same size? I thought about taking it to the store in a plastic baggie and having it weighed. I foun this copper ball in Rochester,Mn. curb detecting. roger

 

[1869er]

Rodger, I eyed my copper ball next to a tape measure... Looks like it's about 1 5/16ths...

A few other things I've noticed... There's a spot possibly more than one which either looks like a copper plug, or, more likely the spot where it was cut away from where the copper was poured into a mold. There's also two tiny notches on one side with a white color in it the notches.... possibly oxidized lead? Those notches aren't actually holes, I checked with a needle, it's just some kind of substance filling in the notch. Not sure if this helps in anyway of identifying this thing. As a side note, I did read that usually copper counter weights were marked by weight since that's what they were used for, no markings on this ball... I've included pictures to show the spots I mentioned.