Cle Ellen Antique Store Find

[mterry]

I was gifted this from someone who got this from an antique store. 8 lb 1 oz. seller said was a 8poinder civil war cannon ball. Some deeper scratches and dents ....is that just from moving around through war?

Any way to tell if union or confederate? Or what specific application it was used?

Thanks!

 

[Hussar Yeomanry]

Ah.

Apologetically what I think you have is an ore crusher ball.

I say this for a number of reasons. The wear and tear certainly suggests this. Furthermore while eight pounder smoothbore cannon did exist they were not (to the best of my knowledge) used in the Civil War - indeed the French with whom this was a popular caliber some fifty to sixty years before in the Napoleonic Wars no longer used it. Instead the 2 main US calibers were (mainly) 12pdr and (especially early in the war) 6pdr.

Other opinions may differ and I wait to see what others say.

 

[John Winn]

Ah.

Apologetically what I think you have is an ore crusher ball.

I say this for a number of reasons. The wear and tear certainly suggests this. Furthermore while eight pounder smoothbore cannon did exist they were not (to the best of my knowledge) used in the Civil War - indeed the French with whom this was a popular caliber some fifty to sixty years before in the Napoleonic Wars no longer used it. Instead the 2 main US calibers were (mainly) 12pdr and (especially early in the war) 6pdr.

Other opinions may differ and I wait to see what others say.

I'm with you. There were 8 pounder field guns and naval guns but they were 18th-century weapons. I'm not really familiar with those so can't say if the ball shown might be one of those but it's definitely not Civil War.

 

[mterry]

Here's a closer picture. Almost like a seem running down the middle. I've seen ore crusher balls and this just looks a lot smoother and more round than that.

 

[sourdough]

If that antique store was in Washington State, the town's name is Cle Elum. Probably Tuckaway Antiques and Collectibles.

In the late 1800's the town was the site of a coal mining operation for the railroad there.

I live about one hour's drive away.

Jim

 

[mterry]

I measured and it's either right at 4 inch or just under in diameter. I also found this on the internet...a document that lists sizes for American artillery in 1862 as an ordinance manual.. if you scroll to bottom and look at picture there is 8 lbs and just under 4 inch in diameter....

Thoughts?

 

[mterry]

If that antique store was in Washington State, the town's name is Cle Elum. Probably Tuckaway Antiques and Collectibles.

In the late 1800's the town was the site of a coal mining operation for the railroad there.

I live about one hour's drive away.

Jim

Yes Cle Elum.... it was with other civil war items... buttons, Minet balls, etc so it was from a collector.

 

[John Winn]

I measured and it's either right at 4 inch or just under in diameter. I also found this on the internet...a document that lists sizes for American artillery in 1862 as an ordinance manual.. if you scroll to bottom and look at picture there is 8 lbs and just under 4 inch in diameter....

Thoughts?

View attachment 299849

That table isn't one for actual artillery rounds but, rather, is just the arithmetical parameters for balls of a given size; i.e. it's not saying all of those sizes were actual shot. On the site you note, if you look at the menu on the left side of the screen you'll see "technical information." If you click that, one of the options is "shot tables." Those list the rounds actually used in artillery of the era. You'll note that there isn't an 8-pounder listed.

As I said before, if yours is an actual 8-pounder artillery ball - which I doubt - it's from the 18th century and is definitely not a Civil War cannon ball. Sorry, but that's just the simple truth of the matter. Given where you bought it it would be quite a journey for an 18th century object. I suppose some collector might have thought it a cannon ball and kept it with other collectibles but many are mistaken about such things and think that anything iron and round is a cannon ball. I think ore crusher is the most likely.

 

[UCVRelics]

I have to agree. Its a crusher ball.

 

[mterry]

How much is an ore crusher ball worth?

 

[UCVRelics]

What is the current scrap price?

 

[redbob]

How much is an ore crusher ball worth?

Sometimes as many of us have found out, you just have to swallow your pride, lick your wounds and appreciate that someone thought enough of you to give you a gift-even if it's not quite as represented. And who knows, someday it may be your turn to give someone a genuine cannonball.