Unknown Bullet/Artillery

[detectorboy552]

I need some opinions on what this bullet is and what its from.

 

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[TheCannonballGuy]

it is a 37mm Hotchkiss armor-piercing shell, from the late-1800s-to-early-1900s. Although it has a "solid" nose, it is an explosive shell, shown by the wide hole in its base for the fuze, which is missing from your shell.

The copperbrass band on your shell shows no rifling-mark grooves, so you shell is an unfired one.

 

[detectorboy552]

Thank you for the information, would you happen to know the value?

 

[CATFISH]

Why does every newbie want to know the value? Do you have to sell everything you find?

 

[detectorboy552]

I want to know the value so i can tell my friends and family what the bullet i happened to find in my yard is worth, not looking forward to selling it.

 

[A/CMan]

I would like to hunt your yard, beats mine!! Congrats !!!

 

[detectorboy552]

Thanks, i live in the middle of nowhere ive been finding lots of old farm plow parts, hand forged axehead, horseshoes, and a few coins

 

[Gunrunner61]

A cool find no doubt, What State do you live in? I live in Northwest Georgia and Can't even find a fired .22 cal in my yard...............HH

 

[detectorboy552]

Indiana, i would have never thought that i would find it here. Right next to a giant cottonwood tree in my yard.

 

[A/CMan]

Like to know how it got there, that would be a great story, a unfired hotchkiss round ! No marking at all on the o-jive band, incredible recovery!!!

 

[detectorboy552]

Thanks again, many people have been interested in buying it but i have no clue of a value. It would be good to know in case i get an offer i cant resist. I have been telling people not for sale because i have no clue, and my family loves it.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Detectorboy552 wrote:
> Thank you for the information, would you happen to know the value?

Before I answer your question, I should mention, it is not called a bullet. It is an artillery shell, for the 37mm Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon which was invented in 1872 by Benjamin B. Hotchkiss, and it was the first SUCCESSFUL rapid-firing cannon. (It had five revolving barrels, so it was sort of a cross between a cannon and a Gatling Gun.)

Specifically, your artillery shell is a Hotchkiss 37x94R base-fuzed AP (armor-piercing) shell. You can view a photo of a longer one (37x136R) in non-excavated condition, in its original brass cartridge-casing, here: Hotchkiss 37mm Revolving Cannon Round

The copperbrass band on your shell is a "longer" band than on later versions, and it has no grooves encircling the band. That means it is an "early model" one, manufactured in the 1880s-to-90s.

Regarding its dollar-value:
It is an excavated (dug) specimen, showing the corrosion which is typical of long-buried iron. Most collectors of post-civil-war artillery projectiles prefer non-dug specimens, because the condition is much better than dug ones.

Your shell's fuze is missing. Most collectors prefer that the relic be complete (no missing parts.)

Also, your shell is from the Indian Wars era, and there are not many collectors of Indian Wars (and Spanish-American War) artillery projectiles.

So, in view of those three factors (condition, lack-of-completeness, and not being from a "popular" era of US military history) ...I would estimate the dollar value of your excavated fuze-less 1880s/90s 37mm Hotchkiss shell to an artillery projectile collector at about $50.

Believe me, I wish I could tell you it is worth more than that. But there just aren't very many collectors of 1880s/90s artillery projectiles. You might get more than $50 from somebody who simply views it as a "cool" relic-find.

 

[detectorboy552]

Thank you for the help, the information helped me alot, i figured it wasnt worth much but now i have some history to put behind it now. This was my first artillery shell i have found , and it was only about an inch under the soil, popped it up and ran it to my dad, he was talking to a gentleman and the gentleman tried to tell me it was a plumb bob, i thought no way, now i have the real truth. I am going to hang onto it and maybe i will find more. Thanks Again im happy to know it was a good find!