Civil war Artifact?? found by my little girl.

[EC.Mason]

Ok, I took my six year old little girl detecting today. She has a junior bounty hunter metal detector, and I use a AT pro. I took her to a rock house where I had found a 1783 Spanish coin along with other coins from the 1930s and 1940s. We were there for about 10 minutes when she found this(pictures below). It is iron and looks like some type of shot. There was Civil War activity in the area but not sure what exactly it is. I hope it is Civil War for her. Funny thing is, I have detected this rockhouse several times but always discriminated iron! She really showed me. Any ideas? (please look over my dirty fingernails; just got home)

 

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[CoilyGirl]

Could be a piece of grapeshot but I'd love to hear what the experts say.if so,neat!

 

[NOLA_Ken]

Take some precise measurements and contact TheCannonballGuy, If it's any kind of artillery shot he should be able to confirm it for you.

 

[EC.Mason]

Thanks. Im hoping cannonballguy will chine in soon. He is good.

 

[ivan salis]

could be iron canistar style "grape shot"

 

[EC.Mason]

Thats what I hope it is.

 

[EC.Mason]

It is pure iron.

 

[Breezie]

TheCannonballGuy has gone to Ohio to a Civil War Show and will be back Sunday night. Neat find and a big ole, YOU GO GIRL on finding it! Breezie

 

[EC.Mason]

Ha ha. She is pretty excited. Just waiting to get it confirmined.

 

[d2]

I hope that's what it is too and it looks like it. I have found a few. I also found the clapper out of a cowbell once thinking it was another piece of cannister. Went back over the hole, got another single and dug up the rest of the rusted up cow bell...d2

 

[EC.Mason]

Thanks d2. Yeah I hope it is for my little girl. She is in anticipation wondering if it is Civil War.

 

[absosecur]

If it is iron chances are very good it is from a grape shot canister therefore definitely civil war. Tell your daughter congrats. Awesome find. It's so much fun to see the look on young one faces at times like that. Love it. HH.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

EC.Mason, this info is NOT meant as an insult to your daughter's hopes, or you. It's merely educational info.

To many people, any "old-looking" iron ball has just got to be a (valuable) civil war cannonball -- or Grapeshot ball, or Canister ball. But in actual fact, millions more civilian Industrial-usage iron/steel balls exist than Artillery balls.

So, as NOLA_Ken said, super-precise measurement of the iron ball's diameter and weight are needed for proving whether or not it is a civil war (or earlier) Artillery ball. When you've made the super-precise measurements, look for an extremely close match in the US (and CSA) Ordnance Manual's artillery-ball size & weight charts, viewable online for free at: www.civilwarartillery.com/shottables.htm

Also, because some civilian Industrial-usage balls may coincidentally be the same size as an Artillery ball, it's important to check the history of the location where an iron ball was dug, to see if any Artillery was ever used there.

For your daughter's sake, I sincerely hope her find matches up with a ball in the Artillery ordnance Manual's charts -- and that artillery was used at the location where she found the ball.

If it turns out not to be an Artillery ball, please use the occasion to educate her that we relic hunters must "fact-check" our metal-detecting finds. (And, we relic collectors must also fact-check a relic before we pay our hard-earned money for it.)

Please pardon the delay in replying. As Breezie indicated, I just got back home yesterday evening from a 4-day trip to the annual civil war relics show in Mansfield Ohio. Had a great time seeing many old friends and hundreds of tables full of civil war relics.

 

[EC.Mason]

Glad you had a great time cannonballguy. I will get some precise measurements and weight and send them to you soon. The area where it was found did have a lot of smaller Civil War activities going on. For example small skirmishes as well as bands of guerrilla soldiers hiding in the cliffs. There was also a recruitment camp close by. So I believe it is possible that it is a shot, but like you said it could be something totally different. Thanks, I always appreciate and value your input. I will get farther details up soon.

 

[EC.Mason]

Measured it and it's between an inch and an eighth; and an inch and a quarter. I don't have anything here to weigh it with so I'll try to get that tomorrow.

 

[bigfoot1]

without caliper type measuring tool you can use a crecent wrench,carefully center on ball.gently remove and measure opening...you really should consider stopping by a machine shop as precise measurement may be needed....good luck !!!

edit...I believe any auto parts store can help ya out.get it in u.s. and cm.

 

[EC.Mason]

Thanks Bigfoot, I'll probably have to do that.

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Welcome back CBG!! Hope you had a good time @ the Ohio show! Nick said he saw you there but said he didn't do too good on selling much but then again he didn't have a table! Gettysburg show should be very interesting!!!

 

[ivan salis]

it helps some what if you know there was for sure civil war fighting in the area * as it was stated there were many civilian use iron ball items of similar size --but if it's a area with known fighting with cannons that can help tip the scales toward "grape shot" but one must verify it still as to size and weight

 

[EC.Mason]

Ivan, I know there was a requirement camp close by along with skirmishes. General George Morgan led his troops through this same area when he retreated from the Cumberland Gap. I don't know if any cannons were involved though.