Posts: 216
North Carolina
Detector used Detector(s) Used - White's MXT, Minelab Etrac, Cobra Beach Magnet
___________  Wallet Found & Returned! - Diamond Engagement Ring Found & Returned___________
Primary Interest: All Types Of Treasure Hunting
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Posted Sep 07, 2009, 06:36:41 pm |
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I found this musket ball in a park in New England. You can see mold marks. It appears it was cut in half possibly to be used as a checkers or game piece. Anyone familiar with these?
Looks like a "dum dum" ball....Thank you all who replied!
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Posts: 2861
New Zealand
Detector used Detector(s) Used - Minelab Sovereign GT
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Reply To This Topic #1 Posted Sep 08, 2009, 02:11:20 am |
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JimDon, I did a search on TreasureNet for Lead Checker pieces and came up with one link http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,187558.0.htmlwhich looks nothing like your half a musket ball find. Call it a Cool Treasure! Mike |
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Posts: 2949
NC
Detector used Detector(s) Used - Whites XLT
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Reply To This Topic #2 Posted Sep 08, 2009, 02:47:17 am |
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Neat musket ball  Was it cut in half or just not enough lead in the mold? |
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Reply To This Topic #3 Posted Sep 08, 2009, 02:50:59 am |
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OK. I'm glad you posted it. I'm currious too. I have found one as well. I'll post it a new one so I don't distract your thread.
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Posts: 2949
NC
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Reply To This Topic #4 Posted Sep 08, 2009, 03:17:49 am |
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The checker piece idea sounds likely.
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Posts: 1688
new jersey
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Reply To This Topic #5 Posted Sep 08, 2009, 04:30:19 am |
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I think the general concensus is that they were sometimes cut in half to "increase their destructive properties". Don't know though. I remember reading something once about how magicians would fool the audience by getting shot with a split ball (which would seperate around them. That never made much sense to me, as why wouldn't it just as easily hit the poor girl in the head and foot as pass her sides? Anyway, I remember reading elsewherethat these were cast using paper to weaken them at the split so they'd fly apart. Here's one link that mentions them. There are probably more. http://books.google.com/books?id=6S...snum=5#v=onepage&q=&f=false |
johnnyi
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Posts: 2949
NC
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Reply To This Topic #6 Posted Sep 08, 2009, 05:42:30 am |
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Interesting link johnnyi. Would never have thought half ball for more destructive power. You would think the balls were destructive enough as they were  |
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Posts: 1688
new jersey
Detector used Detector(s) Used - minelab
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Reply To This Topic #7 Posted Sep 08, 2009, 06:12:55 am |
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Spike, I guess if it manages to cling together long enough, it will seperate on impact making a worse woud. If it splits before impact it may cause double wounds.
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johnnyi
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Posts: 2949
NC
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Reply To This Topic #8 Posted Sep 08, 2009, 08:10:07 am |
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Yeah, but if half balls were so much better why didn't they just use those |
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Posts: 7271
Whiting, NJ
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Primary Interest: All Types Of Treasure Hunting
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Reply To This Topic #9 Posted Sep 08, 2009, 11:11:55 am |
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Interesting and puzzling find there  |
Please note, the author is not responsible for any ideas, facts, etc stated in his comments and does not constitute any liability for his dribble.
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Posts: 11073
Dirtyville
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Reply To This Topic #10 Posted Sep 08, 2009, 02:02:00 pm |
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"dum-dum" balls used during the rev war. Balls were partially halved or quartered in order to spread upon contact, and so inflict a more dangerous wound.
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 dumdum.jpg (96.81 KB, 382x400 - viewed 184 times.)
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I'm as dirty as I look!
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Posts: 2949
NC
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Reply To This Topic #11 Posted Sep 09, 2009, 02:21:45 am |
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Nice pic Iron Patch. It does appear that the balls were cut and not molded this way.
Are the examples shown all fired musket ball relics?
Dum-dum pieces only scorn not cut? If fired scorned pieces the cut almost too clean. Were the pieces loaded and fired wrapped in something?
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