What is it

absosecur · Nov 8, 2012

Found this out digging today. I have no idea what it is. Please help. Also found this dropped Enfield. Good day.

This Enfield is not like others I have found. The base is conical like common three ring bullets. All other enfields I have found has a 57 or 577 inside the base and some with a wooden plug.

creskol · Nov 9, 2012

A brass finial off of a lamp, or a bed post, or something of that nature.

absosecur · Nov 9, 2012

Thanks man. That is what I was thinking also.

TheCannonballGuy · Nov 9, 2012

No Enfield minies were manufactured with a tapering tail shape. Therefore, the only possible answer is, something happened to yours after it was cast.

We relic-diggers know that bored soldiers often "fooled around" with lead bullets. Your tapered-base Enfield minie may have been very smoothly whittled-down. Or, it may have been been smoothly "pressed" to contract its base-diameter, for some unknown reason. It could not be fired "correctly" with that tapered-base shape ...so whoever altered its original shape must have had some other purpose in mind. I have to say I'm unable to imagine any "functional" purpose for altering a minie that way. So, I have to think somebody was just goofing around with it.

I agree with Creskol, the other item you asked about is a finial off of a lamp or bedframe or a fireplace-poker, etc.