Fskafish Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Seems big and also dont think its lead, green patina throws me off.. found on farm that dates back into 1780s. Ideas? 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambler Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 a shooter maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB_Amateur Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 1 hour ago, Fskafish said: dont think its lead, green patina throws me off. Something so nicely shaped (appears spherical) should be fairly easy to figure a density (weight divided by volume) -- enought to distinguish copper and high copper content alloys from lead, assuming it's not hollow. Volume is 0.5236 times the diameter (in cm.) cubed. ("Diameter cubed" being diameter X diameter X diameter.) Pure copper has specific density of 8.96 g/cm^3 vs. pure lead at 11.35 g/cm^3. Common brass and bronze alloys are within a few percent of copper. I don't know if lead alloys (which might have 10% or more lower densities) were used back when that was lost, but I'm guessing it's unlikely for a piece of this shape. I'm assuming you have or can get access to a scale that measures in gram units, with 0.1 g precision or smaller. A caliper or micrometer which reads to better than 1 mm -- say 0.5 mm or smaller (or down to 1/64 inch or less) precision is required, too. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe D. Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 I'm far from a Civil War expert, or any other antique items, but does look like grape shot, or bearing of some kind! Perfect spherical objects are generally man made or shaped! Cool find, and good luck on the finding the ID!?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opalboy Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 A mill ball? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klunker Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Judging by the amount of blood in your photo I'd have to guess "projectile". Sorry but it's cold and rainy here. can't get out to detect so my imagination is my only entertainment. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCR Posted April 17, 2022 Share Posted April 17, 2022 They used bronze balls about that size to grind Black Powder while wet. Powder mills were not uncommon back before the Industrial Revolution. They also blew up pretty often. Whatever it is it's old & a good find. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold Seeker Posted April 17, 2022 Share Posted April 17, 2022 My guess is brass ball, whoever lost it only had one left! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valens Legacy Posted April 17, 2022 Share Posted April 17, 2022 Looks like one of the brass balls that was used to grind gun powder like JCR has said. The reason I say that is there were many places here in the mid west that made ammo during WWII and I have seen several looking items like that from people near me. They had several of them in their home because when they had flattened spot on them, they could set of an explosion. Just North of Taylorville, Illinois is old sites of about 50 buildings where they manufactured the powder and they were about 100 yards apart from each other. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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