Please help. Found this in a 1850s privy

[catfishjim90]

It is made out of iron. I don't know what the middle band is. Thank you for any help.View attachment 1638750

 

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[Tpmetal]

looks like a civil war shell if i had to guess. with the lead ring to grab onto rifling in the barrel. Hotchkiss ?

 

[GaRebel1861]

The ole' outhouse took a direct hit! I'm sure glad that I wasn't sitting in there when it struck! Cool find!!!

 

[buck8point]

The ole' outhouse took a direct hit! I'm sure glad that I wasn't sitting in there when it struck! Cool find!!!

Gives a Whole New Meaning to the Phrase "Bombs Away......" lol

 

[DCMatt]

looks like a civil war shell if i had to guess. with the lead ring to grab onto rifling in the barrel. Hotchkiss ?

[FONT=&quot]Hotchkiss iron percussion "West Point" style fuze

Relicman Sales Catalog, Artillery, Page1




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[bologna321]

Pre-cherry bomb toilet prank, drop an artillery shell down the outhouse hole

 

[DCMatt]

Where was this found?

Thousand upon thousands of these were fired during the CW and many simply didn't go off. For decades after the war, farmers cursed every time they hit one with a plow. They disposed of them like other trash objects they didn't want to put in a fire - threw them down the outhouse hole.

 

[Lovebottles]

They may have used that to see how full the privy was. Please post the bottles. Thanks.

 

[Reanm8er]

Thanks Matt, That makes great sense. I also guess if you posted a warning on the wall the traveling salesmen, or your inlaws wouldn't stay too long! LOL

 

[Reanm8er]

And farmer Brown told his grandson, " Nobody's ever gonna dig this up, Haw Haw Haw!"

 

[Bruce R]

I’ll bet it hurt to pass that one !

 

[Anduril]

I didn't realize that Iron Man was alive back in the Civil War.

 

[catfishjim90]

If this is a civil war shell how do I tell if it is a live one? I will show some bottle from the privys soon. Is the shell worth anything? That iron man come back was Fuuuuu Nny. My inners are still sore. All the best Catfish.

 

[DCMatt]

Others will chime in on this as it is a topic we love to debate.

The shell is 'unexploded'. Does that mean it could explode? Technically, yes. In reality, probably not (unless you do things to try to make it explode).

There are professionals who can drill it to remove the powder charge. I have no idea what that would cost, but it might be cost prohibitive given the relative value of the relic.

The shell like yours that I referenced with the hyper-link is listed at $350 (disarmed). It's condition is somewhat better than yours.

Let the debate begin...