pete77
Jr. Member
Found this while raking my yard. I thought it looked a lot like a civil war cannon ball fuse, but wasn't sure. I live in Inman Park in Atlanta, GA near where a lot of artillery fire took place. Can anyone help identify this?
civil war cannon ball fuse?
- Thread starter pete77
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TheCannonballGuy
Gold Member
- Feb 24, 2006
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As my posting name indicates, pre-1900s artillery projectiles are my specialty area of relic study. I'm 100% certain the object you found is not an artillery projectile fuze, nor a part of one.
Beyond that... I do not know what the object is. Please tell us the object's precise size measurements, and what kind of metal it seems to be made of. http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/136849-please-read-before-posting-items-what.html
Beyond that... I do not know what the object is. Please tell us the object's precise size measurements, and what kind of metal it seems to be made of. http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/136849-please-read-before-posting-items-what.html
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parsonwalker
Bronze Member
Dang. Sorry Pete. Guess I lose that bet. I wonder what tipped it off to CBGuy?
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pete77
Jr. Member
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- #5
haha.. its all good Parsonwalker. I thought maybe it could be too considering I have found mine balls around. And yeah, I searched the hotchkiss shell(which was definitely used in the fighting in my area) and agree it looks uncanny. I will probably hang on to it, even though the cannon ball expert didn't agree. thanks.
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HomeGuardDan
Bronze Member
CannonBallGuy is right - it certainly does not look like any CW fuse that I have dug - not even remotely close. Not sure what it is though - but you can rule out fuse.
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parsonwalker
Bronze Member
Yeah, that's the fuse in my hotchkiss. Mind you, I NEVER doubt CBGuy. I am SURE he is right. I just think it looks dang close!
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HomeGuardDan
Bronze Member
Yes easily - it does not look remotely like any fuse I have dug. It was a phrase that is all. I've dug many and been around many more fuses over the years - to me it does not remotely look like one. I was not trying to start anything. By comparison, that is like someone posting a large caliber lead (but modern) muzzle-loading round. To them it very well could appear to be CW - to me I immediately see it as what it is - just through experience. Sorry if I ruffled any feathers.
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pete77
Jr. Member
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no ruffled feathers here. just trying to identify this if it isn't a fuse. like I said five 3 ringers have popped up, so I thought the chances were good. I live within 100 yards of where the unions first shells that hit Atlanta were fired from in the "battle of atlanta."
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TheCannonballGuy
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Parsonwalker wrote:
> I wonder what tipped it off to CBGuy?
Two characteristics immediately told me it is not an artillery shell fuze (or fuzeplug).
1- Its metal body shows no trace at all of having threading for screwing it into a shell's fuzehole.
2- The deep rectangular slot on it goes all the way across its top AND all the way down the side of the top's "lip." That's different from any artillery fuze or fuzeplug.
Now that the finder (Pete77) has given us the object's size-measurements, I can add a third reason it is not a civil war fuze or fuzeplug.
3- The hole in it is too small to hold a paper-timefuze -- whose large end was a smidgen under 1/2-inch wide. Compare the size of the hole in the unidentified object with size of the hole in the Hotchkiss fuzeplug posted by Pete77.
His guess that the object is "similar" to a civil war artillery fuze or fuzeplug is a "reasonable" guess. But the various characteristics of the object prove beyond doubt that it isn't an artillery (or grenade) fuze or fuzeplug.
Nonetheless, I applaud him for posting the object to get its ID, instead of just tossing it into a trashcan. I personally know several diggers who've thrown away a valuable relic because they did not know what it is. Asking more-knowledgeable diggers and collectors to ID it is the smart thing to do -- and that's what Pete77 did. Wise move.
> I wonder what tipped it off to CBGuy?
Two characteristics immediately told me it is not an artillery shell fuze (or fuzeplug).
1- Its metal body shows no trace at all of having threading for screwing it into a shell's fuzehole.
2- The deep rectangular slot on it goes all the way across its top AND all the way down the side of the top's "lip." That's different from any artillery fuze or fuzeplug.
Now that the finder (Pete77) has given us the object's size-measurements, I can add a third reason it is not a civil war fuze or fuzeplug.
3- The hole in it is too small to hold a paper-timefuze -- whose large end was a smidgen under 1/2-inch wide. Compare the size of the hole in the unidentified object with size of the hole in the Hotchkiss fuzeplug posted by Pete77.
His guess that the object is "similar" to a civil war artillery fuze or fuzeplug is a "reasonable" guess. But the various characteristics of the object prove beyond doubt that it isn't an artillery (or grenade) fuze or fuzeplug.
Nonetheless, I applaud him for posting the object to get its ID, instead of just tossing it into a trashcan. I personally know several diggers who've thrown away a valuable relic because they did not know what it is. Asking more-knowledgeable diggers and collectors to ID it is the smart thing to do -- and that's what Pete77 did. Wise move.
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tennessee digger
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Very good explanation Cannonball...... like you, I knew it wasn't a fuse but I still don't know exactly what it is?
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pete77
Jr. Member
- Thread starter
- #17
hey Cannonballguy, I appreciate you taking the time to break it down with your points. I have only been detecting for about 6 months, and have only found a few minè balls. However, it is great and really helpful to have this site to help gain tips and help identify things. thanks guys.
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TheCannonballGuy
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Pete77 wrote:
> I have only been detecting for about 6 months, and have only found a few miniè balls.
> However, it is great and really helpful to have this site to help gain tips and help identify things. Thanks guys.
Pete77, since it seems you live in the Atlanta vicinity, if you are not already a member of the North Georgia Relic Hunters Association, let me suggest you join it. That club's members are always helpful with relic-ID and other friendly advice. Tell them you're new to the hobby, and oldtime NGRHA member Pete George sent you. www.ngrha.com
From the NGRHA's website:
Meetings are open to the public and are held the first and third Wednesday of each month, 7:30 p.m., at the FOP Lodge (2350 Austell Road, Marietta, GA 30008). This is on the corner of Austell Rd and Wanda Circle.
On the first meeting of each month we try to have a speaker to give a talk on subjects of interest to our members. Many times these talks are given by the members of the club.
The second meeting of each month is dedicated to the “Find of the Month”. This is an opportunity for each member to bring in items that the have personally found since the last Find of the Month. There are four categories which finds may be entered:
Club Hunts:
The club will usually hold at least 1 coin hunt and 1 relic hunt each year. To participate in these hunts you must be a paid member prior to the day of the hunt.
Shows:
Each year in August the club will hold the Southeastern Civil War Show.
> I have only been detecting for about 6 months, and have only found a few miniè balls.
> However, it is great and really helpful to have this site to help gain tips and help identify things. Thanks guys.
Pete77, since it seems you live in the Atlanta vicinity, if you are not already a member of the North Georgia Relic Hunters Association, let me suggest you join it. That club's members are always helpful with relic-ID and other friendly advice. Tell them you're new to the hobby, and oldtime NGRHA member Pete George sent you. www.ngrha.com
From the NGRHA's website:
Meetings are open to the public and are held the first and third Wednesday of each month, 7:30 p.m., at the FOP Lodge (2350 Austell Road, Marietta, GA 30008). This is on the corner of Austell Rd and Wanda Circle.
On the first meeting of each month we try to have a speaker to give a talk on subjects of interest to our members. Many times these talks are given by the members of the club.
The second meeting of each month is dedicated to the “Find of the Month”. This is an opportunity for each member to bring in items that the have personally found since the last Find of the Month. There are four categories which finds may be entered:
- Relic
- Coin/Jewelry
- Single Relic
- Single Coin
Club Hunts:
The club will usually hold at least 1 coin hunt and 1 relic hunt each year. To participate in these hunts you must be a paid member prior to the day of the hunt.
Shows:
Each year in August the club will hold the Southeastern Civil War Show.
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