🔎 UNIDENTIFIED I need help identifying these balls

Truth

Truth

Gold Member
Apr 13, 2016
14,332
32,145
Abita Springs La....Born in New Orleans
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
EQUINOX 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting

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...those are neat. Get a caliper and measure them across, in inches not metric and a scale to find out how many pounds and ounces plz.
I think they are cannon balls but I’m just learning about them too. The cannonballguy will be along tomorrow..
 

Upvote 2
Fat said:
...those are neat. Get a caliper and measure them across, in inches not metric and a scale to find out how many pounds and ounces plz.
I think they are cannon balls but I’m just learning about them too. The cannonballguy will be along tomorrow..
Click to expand...
All right Fat I’ll do it right now I don’t think they’re cannonballs because they’re not made of iron
 

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Upvote 2
Truth said:
My scale doesn’t go that high and my My electronic ruler needs a battery :-(
Click to expand...
You might try taking two 2X4 blocks, or some similar size wood, making sure cut at 90 degrees , and stand directly across on either side. Then use a tape or ruler to measure across. Any two objects with a good 90 degree angle will work, even thick hard copy book would give generally close measurement.

And if not iron, what material do you think they are? Nice find anyway. Interesting.
 

Upvote 3
traveller777 said:
You might try taking two 2X4 blocks, or some similar size wood, making sure cut at 90 degrees , and stand directly across on either side. Then use a tape or ruler to measure across. Any two objects with a good 90 degree angle will work, even thick hard copy book would give generally close measurement.

And if not iron, what material do you think they are? Nice find anyway. Interesting.
Click to expand...
And also, you said not iron. They are not ferrous? A magnet is not attracted to them?
 

Upvote 3
Just a guess, but there was a company called “Monarch Metal Co.” in Chicago in the 1900s who made industrial equipment and components in brass, bronze and speciality metals using the trade name “Monarch Ball Metal”. Presumably this was some kind of alloy with a proprietary composition.

Your balls appear to have the letters “MET…” after the words “MONARCH BALL”, so I would think it might say “MONARCH BALL METAL”.

This company made heavy duty bearings among other things, but a bearing ball wouldn’t have a threaded hole in it. I wonder if what you have might be “governor balls” (also known as “fly-balls”) which were used as the centrifugal weights on governors for steam-powered equipment. This kind of thing:

Governor.jpg
 

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Upvote 15
Red-Coat said:
Just a guess, but there was a company called “Monarch Metal Co.” in Chicago in the 1900s who made industrial equipment and components in brass, bronze and speciality metals using the trade name “Monarch Ball Metal”. Presumably this was some kind of alloy with a proprietary composition.

Your balls appears to have the letters “MET…” after the word “MONARCH”, so I would think it might say “MONARCH METAL”.

This company made heavy duty bearings among other things, but a bearing ball wouldn’t have a threaded hole in it. I wonder if what you have might be “governor balls” (also known as “fly-balls”) which were used as the centrifugal weights on governors for steam-powered equipment. This kind of thing:

View attachment 2004466
Click to expand...
...gosh I hope so...
 

Upvote 3
Upvote 3
traveller777 said:
You might try taking two 2X4 blocks, or some similar size wood, making sure cut at 90 degrees , and stand directly across on either side. Then use a tape or ruler to measure across. Any two objects with a good 90 degree angle will work, even thick hard copy book would give generally close measurement.

And if not iron, what material do you think they are? Nice find anyway. Interesting.
Click to expand...
To be honest with you I don’t know it’s soft enough that it could take a scratch or a gash but I have found a cannonball and grape shot and they were always in a shell of rust that I would have to do electroless us these are different I’m puzzled
 

Upvote 1
Red-Coat said:
Just a guess, but there was a company called “Monarch Metal Co.” in Chicago in the 1900s who made industrial equipment and components in brass, bronze and speciality metals using the trade name “Monarch Ball Metal”. Presumably this was some kind of alloy with a proprietary composition.

Your balls appear to have the letters “MET…” after the words “MONARCH BALL”, so I would think it might say “MONARCH BALL METAL”.

This company made heavy duty bearings among other things, but a bearing ball wouldn’t have a threaded hole in it. I wonder if what you have might be “governor balls” (also known as “fly-balls”) which were used as the centrifugal weights on governors for steam-powered equipment. This kind of thing:

View attachment 2004466
Click to expand...
A red coat that looks possible only the big one has the thread the other two just have the markings
 

Upvote 1
From:

"Geo. B. Carpenter & Co. Catalogue No. 100 : Manufacturers and Jobbers of Mill, Railroad and Contractors' Supplies" 1911​

BABBITT METAL
Genuine Babbitt
Extra.
No. 1.
No. 2.
No. 3.
No. I.
MONARCH BALL METAL
per lb., f
In 56 lb. boxes
il_1588xN.2567866867_r7vs.jpg
 

Upvote 4
This likely means nothing to this quest but weren't there in the early years before better metals were created.. "ball mills" that were designed to crush stuff anywhere from gold ore to whatever ..using ball size, weight, diameter. metal make-up and screen sizing to create the desired finished product dimensions?

Bear
 

Upvote 0
Brokenbear said:
This likely means nothing to this quest but weren't there in the early years before better metals were created.. "ball mills" that were designed to crush stuff anywhere from gold ore to whatever ..using ball size, weight, diameter. metal make-up and screen sizing to create the desired finished product dimensions?

Bear
Click to expand...

Indeed there were, but they wouldn't have a threaded hole in them... although the two smaller balls are being said not to have the threaded hole that the larger one has.

I'm doubtful that metal supplied in 'ingot' form would have a threaded hole either, and large balls would be a rather space-inefficient shape for transporting it... but perhaps that's why it was called "ball metal".

My other guess is that the letters interpreted as "RATMA..." are actually the beginning of a patent reference that reads "PAT MARCH [or May] XX, XXXX".
 

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Upvote 0
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