Skull Bullet

[Rhapsody]

Dug this possibly altered (heated and gouged with bayonette scabbard finial) sharps bullet from the US civil war today...pretty macabre and cool as heckfire!

 

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[GaRebel1861]

First one of those I've ever seen.

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

Very interesting !

 

[Tony in SC]

Dug this carved sharps bullet from the US civil war today...pretty macabre and cool as heckfire!

Could have been chewed by a wild hog?

 

[Nathan W]

That is cool, I can't tell if that's from impact or carved from a soldier

 

[Rhapsody]

First one of those I've ever seen.

Me too brother thought it was just a fired bullet until I got home and hit it with the gun brush...I think its wicked cool!

 

[Rhapsody]

That is cool, I can't tell if that's from impact or carved from a soldier

Thinking altered through heating and gouging, I've dug thousands of civ war bullets and you can see the fine lines for the teeth...the pic isn't great but in the right light looks way more skullish

 

[Rhapsody]

Could have been chewed by a wild hog?

Possible but I doubt it the base is perfect and the gouge marks are similiar to the Queen chess pieces I've dug in the past...plus the teeth are very deliberate..looks more like a skull in better lighting

 

[Robot]

Hi Rhapsody,
This may be a very expensive bullet;:

Antique stanhope Civil War commemorative bullet depicts a very rare single view of President Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address along with a portrait of Lincoln in a shield of stars and stripes. After the Battle of Gettysburg, some of the left over bullets were used to make these stanhope souvenirs. Most common are bullets of the .56 -.58 cal. pointed type. This example is a smaller .45 caliber pointed 2 ring type and was likely fired from a revolver. The tip has been damaged, either through firing or it may have been damaged by heavy artillery equipment or a horse on the battlefield. The image is very nice and clear and easy to see and if you take the time and hold it just right you can read every word of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. We took great care in restoring the stanhope which had been previously indiscernible. The view is titled THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS / DELIVERED BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN NOV 19, 1863 / AT THE DEDICATION SERVICES ON THE BATTLE FIELD. It's also marked MADE IN FRANCE along the right side toward the bottom.

Stanhope bullets were made shortly after the Civil War when Gettysburg instantly became a popular town that has survived since from tourism. Shortly after the end of the Civil War, bullets were gathered up from the battlefield & stanhope lenses (complete with a variety of images) were ordered from a French manufacturer. The lenses were then locally installed by sutlers and tourist shops who often employed those disabled during the battle. The bullet exhibits nice patina and a good clear view. A prized item for civil war collectors and enthusiasts as well as stanhope collectors.

 

[Nathan W]

Thinking carved, I've dug thousands of civ war bullets and you can see the fine lines for the teeth...the pic isn't great but in the right light looks way more skullish

That's bada**

 

[Rhapsody]

Hi Rhapsody,
This may be a very expensive bullet;:

Antique stanhope Civil War commemorative bullet depicts a very rare single view of President Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address along with a portrait of Lincoln in a shield of stars and stripes. After the Battle of Gettysburg, some of the left over bullets were used to make these stanhope souvenirs. Most common are bullets of the .56 -.58 cal. pointed type. This example is a smaller .45 caliber pointed 2 ring type and was likely fired from a revolver. The tip has been damaged, either through firing or it may have been damaged by heavy artillery equipment or a horse on the battlefield. The image is very nice and clear and easy to see and if you take the time and hold it just right you can read every word of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. We took great care in restoring the stanhope which had been previously indiscernible. The view is titled THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS / DELIVERED BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN NOV 19, 1863 / AT THE DEDICATION SERVICES ON THE BATTLE FIELD. It's also marked MADE IN FRANCE along the right side toward the bottom.

Stanhope bullets were made shortly after the Civil War when Gettysburg instantly became a popular town that has survived since from tourism. Shortly after the end of the Civil War, bullets were gathered up from the battlefield & stanhope lenses (complete with a variety of images) were ordered from a French manufacturer. The lenses were then locally installed by sutlers and tourist shops who often employed those disabled during the battle. The bullet exhibits nice patina and a good clear view. A prized item for civil war collectors and enthusiasts as well as stanhope collectors.

View attachment 2132987

Thanks for the view and info, very interesting

 

[PetesPockets55]

Love it and no question in my mind about being a skull.
Congrats on a very neat find.

 

[scruggs]

It does look like a skull to me too. Interesting find!

 

[Centsless Detecting]

I don't know what to say other than that's wicked cool.

 

[devldog]

Very cool Save of the carved skull bullet. If this was indeed carved, (and it appears to be), it makes one wonder both who the carver was and what was going through his mind. Carved bullets are among some of my favorite relics to find. I find them to be both unique and personal. This is the first carved skull that I have seen. I have seen a few pic's where flattened bullets had a skull etched into them, but this is the first carved skull that I have ever seen. Very nice Save, and most likely the only one of its kind. Congrat's, and Thanks for sharing this with us.

 

[pepperj]

Hi Rhapsody,
This may be a very expensive bullet;:

Antique stanhope Civil War commemorative bullet depicts a very rare single view of President Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address along with a portrait of Lincoln in a shield of stars and stripes. After the Battle of Gettysburg, some of the left over bullets were used to make these stanhope souvenirs. Most common are bullets of the .56 -.58 cal. pointed type. This example is a smaller .45 caliber pointed 2 ring type and was likely fired from a revolver. The tip has been damaged, either through firing or it may have been damaged by heavy artillery equipment or a horse on the battlefield. The image is very nice and clear and easy to see and if you take the time and hold it just right you can read every word of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. We took great care in restoring the stanhope which had been previously indiscernible. The view is titled THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS / DELIVERED BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN NOV 19, 1863 / AT THE DEDICATION SERVICES ON THE BATTLE FIELD. It's also marked MADE IN FRANCE along the right side toward the bottom.

Stanhope bullets were made shortly after the Civil War when Gettysburg instantly became a popular town that has survived since from tourism. Shortly after the end of the Civil War, bullets were gathered up from the battlefield & stanhope lenses (complete with a variety of images) were ordered from a French manufacturer. The lenses were then locally installed by sutlers and tourist shops who often employed those disabled during the battle. The bullet exhibits nice patina and a good clear view. A prized item for civil war collectors and enthusiasts as well as stanhope collectors.

View attachment 2132987

It seems that one can take an object (this time a spent bullet) put a great story/providence on the object to garner another zero on the asking price.
Just because a spent bullet is dug in one location it doesn't mean it has the same history as all the others.
(your example vs the op's)

Now the OP's example is really cool and a question of was it spent/recovered carved/dropped recovered again by him is up for discussion.

 

[Gulf Coast Pirate]

Very cool find!

 

[Bucket Lister]

That is cool, I can't tell if that's from impact or carved from a soldier

Likewise.

IME, carving usually involves only removing material. Would a carved bullet have portions larger than the original diameter? IDK

I spoze it could have been carved after being fired/deformed.

None of the images of Stanhope bullets I find on google show bullets with portions larger than their original diameter. Same with other examples of civil war bullet sculpture.

I'm not seeing a skull either. Pareidolia? Civil War Era folk art depictions of human visages were pretty good--i.e. recognizable; I'm not seeing that here. Conclusive? By no means. JMO--ICBW.

 

[Rhapsody]

Love it and no question in my mind about being a skull.
Congrats on a very neat find.

Thanks for the support & congratz...I'm not always right of course but instinctually I agree

 

[Rhapsody]

Very cool Save of the carved skull bullet. If this was indeed carved, (and it appears to be), it makes one wonder both who the carver was and what was going through his mind. Carved bullets are among some of my favorite relics to find. I find them to be both unique and personal. This is the first carved skull that I have seen. I have seen a few pic's where flattened bullets had a skull etched into them, but this is the first carved skull that I have ever seen. Very nice Save, and most likely the only one of its kind. Congrat's, and Thanks for sharing this with us.

I like to speculate on the last person to touch a recovered object as well...thinking artistic types who got conscripted into battle or socially pressured to join military had a nice outlet thru whittling to express their creativity when the troops stopped for meal breaks or to take a smoke, etc..also the finial tip end of a bayonette scabbard fits the 'nose gouge' perfectly