Large Lead Ball

[relic ray]

I found this huge lead ball on Saturday. I have a standard musket ball fired from French muskets back in 1677.  I am using that and a dime for comparison purposes. If anyone has any idea what this huge lead ball was used for please let me know. 

Thanks

Also on Sunday I found a 1916 merc. 

[GB_Amateur]

Did you check the dime for a mintmark?  (Reverse side, left of bottom of pole)

[Gold Seeker]

4 hours ago, relic ray said:

I found this huge lead ball on Saturday. I have a standard musket ball fired from French muskets back in 1677.  I am using that and a dime for comparison purposes. If anyone has any idea what this huge lead ball was used for please let me know. 

Thanks

Also on Sunday I found a 1916 merc. 

Can you get an actual measurement on the lead ball?

1 hour ago, GB_Amateur said:

Did you check the dime for a mintmark?  (Reverse side, left of bottom of pole)

Yes PLEASE tell us there's a D mint mark on the back of that Merc!!!

[Valens Legacy]

Interesting finds and some good hunting on your part. Which detector were you using?

Good luck on your next hunt.

[Dances With Doves]

58 minutes ago, Valens Legacy said:

Interesting finds and some good hunting on your part. Which detector were you using?

Good luck on your next hunt.

I was with him for that big  round lead ball at my school from k-4th grade and dated 1967.He got the merc at a new clearing by the original Erie canal.He was using the Nox.I found one of those big lead balls in the woods one time also.We also have a spot where they made gun powder and we found many brass balls from the explosions it had.They were used to grind the   the powder.

[schoolofhardNox]

Round ball can be very big sometimes. If you can get some calipers, see how big it is.  a .69 cal ball looks pretty big. Some even go higher. Bigger than that they can be in canister or case shot. Nice finds, and yes check for that "D" mint mark before we die of anticipation 😄 I too live near an old gunpowder manufacturer. They all explode after a while no matter how careful you are. 😬  That's how the one near me finally closed. Great Civil War era material and early coins was found in the one near me.

[Chase Goldman]

The Brown Bess smooth bore musket fired a 0.75” round projectile.

[Joe D.]

Could it be.... Grape Shot!!?

   And was their a mint mark on the back of that Merc?? Still waiting!👍👍

[Chase Goldman]

2 hours ago, Joe D. said:

Could it be.... Grape Shot!!?

   And was their a mint mark on the back of that Merc?? Still waiting!👍👍

Grape shot was typically iron, but lead isn't out of the question.

[Flydog]

Ha! I just today found a musket ball. Looks like .680 diameter. Quickie interwebs research looks like the Brown Bess was built in .75  and .69

Not clear to me if  both calibers were made at the same time or if it was a change over the years.