Cannonball - have I been duped?

[Chad1978]

coming to TreasureNET members for some advice on whether I have been duped. Just purchased a cannonball which was advertised as form Revolutionary War period by seller. When I got home and researched it more, I saw only one article mentioning lead being used in cannonballs during Civil War (on rare occasions), but never during Revolutionary War period. This cannonball is not magnetic so no ferrous metals in it. Not sure it is lead, but cant imagine what else it would be. Barely see a seam mold, barely. The fuse hole is about 1 inch in diameter and it weighs 6.7 pounds. The diameter of entire cannonball is about 5 inches.

So, have I been duped. If so, what is this thing? Doesn't seem like a shot put with a fuse hole in it. Is it just a really bad fake or something else?

 

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[Chad1978]

Or is this possibly a hand grenade of sorts, were those made out of non ferrous metals?

 

[Tony in SC]

I've never seen a lead cannon ball.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

No sense putting a fuse in a lead ball. Especially one that is not hollow.

Probably not lead - as a 5" dia. lead ball would be around 19 pounds.

Possibly a brass shot-put (they did have a plug to make sure the weight was dead-on), counterweight or steam engine governor ball.

 

[fyrffytr1]

I am by far NOT an expert on cannonballs but I wonder why a solid shot would have a shallow fuse hole drilled into it? How much powder could be put in the hole to cause it it blow up?

 

[Chad1978]

thank you for the information. I never thought that it could brass. Any idea of age?

 

[smokeythecat]

Best guess would be late 19th to early 20th century. From the "industrial age". We're in the hand held computer age now.

 

[Chad1978]

Did some more research, looks like a steel constructed Civil War era cannonball.

 

[A2coins]

cool find if it is a cannon ball

 

[Doubter in MD]

Did some more research, looks like a steel constructed Civil War era cannonball.

Steel is ferrous...

 

[Red James Cash]

Mexico made cannon balls out of copper.

 

[fyrffytr1]

A real 5" diameter cannonball would weigh 18.3 pounds. Here's a link that might help you.

Cannon bore, shot, and shell diameters for smoothbore guns

 

[mick56]

Looks like brass, I think a top for a flagpole.

 

[Iron Buzz]

If I entered the correct numbers, a 5" diameter ball of lead (ignoring the hole in yours) would weigh 26.8 lbs (using this online calculator https://www.vcalc.com/wiki/vCalc/Sphere+-+Weight with a 2.5" radius ball and 11.34 g/cm3 density for lead)

However, if it were made out of a lightweight alloy of bronze (7400 (kg/m3) ), it would be 17.5 lbs. Drill out that 1" hole and it would be getting pretty close.

 

[Chad1978]

yeah, it is an alloy of some kind and at 6.7 pounds doesn't seem heavy enough to be cannonball. Leaning more towards it being a fake. Oh well.

 

[Iron Buzz]

Looks like brass, I think a top for a flagpole.

Are those solid brass? Seems unlikely, but I've never actually held one, I guess.

 

[Iron Buzz]

yeah, it is an alloy of some kind and at 6.7 pounds doesn't seem heavy enough to be cannonball. Leaning more towards it being a fake. Oh well.

I'm not so sure I'd go so far as to call it a fake, as much as misrepresented. Did the seller know better...? Hard to say. Even if it is bronze, the melt value alone on that would be pretty healthy, I think.

 

[Dual Hunter]

not like any projectile or cannon ball iv'e seen