Hello, All:
I have a question regarding a cannon which I have seen being offered for sale in a local junkyard here in my neighborhood (in a Spanish colonial city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia). Sometime in the next few days I plan to return with a camera to photograph the cannon, which is made of iron, is about five feet long, and appears to be in relatively good shape, although the cascabel (seems to be more like a D-handle) is broken off. The bore is jammed with wood, and there is a trace of paint on the barrel, as if it had been used as a gate post or fence marker, etc.
The cannon is preserved with a coating of engine oil, and there appears to be little corrosion, since the design details like the concentric rings molded into the muzzle seem sharp. The profile of the cannon is so clean that my impression is that it did not spend much time underwater, if indeed it came from a shipwreck. Still, as it is I cannot see any foundry marks, proof marks, nor any other identifying information on the weapon; I expect that cleaning would reveal more.
The owner of the junkyard says that he bought it along with other scrap from the owner of a coastal hacienda nearby. He is trying to sell it, and is asking about USD $1000 for the cannon. It caught my eye, and I have been thinking about buying it, although I do not know what a fair price may be. Since this cannon is only made of iron, and it has the end of its cascabel broken off, it seems likely that it would not be of great interest to museums, I guess. Still, I am interested in hearing any thoughts about the practicality of buying a cannon, then restoring it and reselling it.
Assuming this cannon can be purchased legally, what are cannons worth? Would it be a worthwhile venture to buy it and clean/preserve it properly?
I will plan to take a camera on my next visit so I can take some photos.
Thanks for any insight,
ef
I have a question regarding a cannon which I have seen being offered for sale in a local junkyard here in my neighborhood (in a Spanish colonial city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia). Sometime in the next few days I plan to return with a camera to photograph the cannon, which is made of iron, is about five feet long, and appears to be in relatively good shape, although the cascabel (seems to be more like a D-handle) is broken off. The bore is jammed with wood, and there is a trace of paint on the barrel, as if it had been used as a gate post or fence marker, etc.
The cannon is preserved with a coating of engine oil, and there appears to be little corrosion, since the design details like the concentric rings molded into the muzzle seem sharp. The profile of the cannon is so clean that my impression is that it did not spend much time underwater, if indeed it came from a shipwreck. Still, as it is I cannot see any foundry marks, proof marks, nor any other identifying information on the weapon; I expect that cleaning would reveal more.
The owner of the junkyard says that he bought it along with other scrap from the owner of a coastal hacienda nearby. He is trying to sell it, and is asking about USD $1000 for the cannon. It caught my eye, and I have been thinking about buying it, although I do not know what a fair price may be. Since this cannon is only made of iron, and it has the end of its cascabel broken off, it seems likely that it would not be of great interest to museums, I guess. Still, I am interested in hearing any thoughts about the practicality of buying a cannon, then restoring it and reselling it.
Assuming this cannon can be purchased legally, what are cannons worth? Would it be a worthwhile venture to buy it and clean/preserve it properly?
I will plan to take a camera on my next visit so I can take some photos.
Thanks for any insight,
ef
