Any ideas, heavy brass. Thanks

mspence

Full Member
Aug 25, 2011
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Try cleaning it up a bit, see if any letters or logos jump out.
 

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Congratulations, Mspence! Your "heavy brass" (actually, copper) find is a rare INTACT disc-sabot from a civil war Confederate 3"-caliber artillery projectile, specifically known as a Tennessee sabot or Mullane sabot. It was held onto the projectile's base by a heavy bolt in the center, and three iron studs which fit through the three holes in the disc. (See the photos below).

Usually these disc sabots are torn by firing-blast... and the shells are almost always found with the disc-sabot missing. Yours is definitely fired, but amazingly, still completely intact and undamaged, except for a little splitting at the stud-holes' edges.

Your intact one could be used to replace a missing one from somebody's unexploded Tennessee/Mullane shell, which makes your find worth about $150 (retail).

If you wouldn't mind telling me, what battlefield (or at least, state & nearby town) did you find it at? Please send me a Private Message if you don't want to post that info.

The copper-disc-sabot in the photos is unfired, so it has its original "saucer" curvature. Yours was flattened by firing-blast, which is how the disc-sabot "works" to grab the cannon's rifling-grooves.

The dark object at the center of the sabot in photo #3 is the remnants of the wooden "doughnut" which helped to partially protect the sabot from firing-blast damage.
 

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Congratulations, Mspence! Your "heavy brass" (actually, copper) find is a rare INTACT civil war Confederate 3"-caliber artillery projectile's disc-sabot, specifically known as a Tennessee sabot or Mullane sabot. It was held onto the projectile's base by a heavy bolt in the center, and three iron studs which fit through the three holes in the disc. (See the photos below).

Usually these disc sabots are torn by firing-blast... and the shells are almost always found with the disc-sabot missing. Yours is definitely fired, but amazingly, still completely intact and undamaged, except for a little splitting at the stud-holes' edges.

Your intact one could be used to replace a missing one from somebody's unexploded Tennessee/Mullane shell, which makes your find worth about $150 (retail).

The copper-disc-sabot in the photos is unfired, so it has its original "saucer" curvature. Yours was flattened by firing-blast, which is how the disc-sabot "works" to grab the cannon's rifling-grooves.

The dark object at the center of the sabot in photo #3 is the remnants of the wooden "doughnut" which helped to partially protect the sabot from firing-blast damage.

You are really knocking it out of the park with your detailed explanation of finds. I do so enjoy reading your responses, TheCannonballGuy....but given your name I guess i shouldn’t be so surprised [emoji6]
 

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Underwonder, as we say (or used to) down South... thank you kindly sir.

Since you say you very much enjoy my "detailed explanation of finds" in answer to ID-requests, you can click on my name at the left of my posts, then select "View Posts" -- which will take you to T-Net's archive of my 4,900 posts, nearly all of which are in the What-Is-It? forum. I've poured my 40+ years of digging and researching and dealing relics into those posts. (None say "Nice find" or etc.) They are a way for the Knowledge to survive me. At my age, they are the final relic-information book I'll write. Thanks for letting me know you've been enjoying the education. :) God bless.
 

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Underwonder, as we say (or used to) down South... thank you kindly sir.

Since you say you very much enjoy my "detailed explanation of finds" in answer to ID-requests, you can click on my name at the left of my posts, then select "View Posts" -- which will take you to T-Net's archive of my 4,900 posts, nearly all of which are in the What-Is-It? forum. I've poured my 40+ years of digging and researching and dealing relics into those posts. (None say "Nice find" or etc.) They are a way for the Knowledge to survive me. At my age, they are the final relic-information book I'll write. Thanks for letting me know you've been enjoying the education. :) God bless.

Wonderful! I am on the app version so found “replies” under your profile and can view your posts from there. It is a nice legacy and Ian sure many of us have learned from you and others. Thanks for the tip (and the blessings). The Spirit sure stirs within. Thanks again.
 

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