RARE - Revolutionary War Artillery Cannonball Gauge for a Field Gun, dug at Ft. Ticonderoga, NY

This is another rare piece coming out of a 60-year collection of French & Indian War, Revolutionary War, and War of 1812 artifacts. Being offered is a Revolutionary War hand-forged iron gauge to check cannonball sizes. This gauge measures 10” long overall, and the diameter of the ring is 3” on the inside. This would be for a field piece using 4-pounder cannonballs. There is an excavated example of an artillery gauge in the Ft. Ticonderoga Museum (see pictures). It was recovered at Fort Ticonderoga, NY on Lake Champlain.

Fort Ticonderoga served as a key point of access to both Canada and the Hudson River Valley during the French and Indian War. On May 10, 1775, Benedict Arnold joined Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys of Vermont in a dawn attack on the fort, surprising and capturing the sleeping British garrison. Although it was a small-scale conflict, the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga was the first American victory of the Revolutionary War and would give the Continental Army much-needed artillery to be used in future battles.

All cannonballs had to be very carefully manufactured to be perfectly-round, so they would not jam inside the cannon's barrel during firing -- which could cause the cannon itself to burst. So, the Army and Navy Ordnance Department had Inspectors, whose job was to use a ring-gauge to check every cannonball for perfect roundness before the balls were issued.

Any irregularities would make the ball be rejected by the Ordnance Inspector and be sent back to the foundry to be melted down and re-cast. During the Revolutionary War artillery gunners would also double-check the size to avoid any problems, using a gauge such as this one. I tried it on a 4-pounder cannonball, and it fit almost perfectly (see pictures). In “Collector’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution”, there are similar examples shown (see pictures).

The gauge remains in very nice condition, having overall rust, but no flaking or chipping.  This collection began in the late 1950s and was created by private acquisitions, closed museums, and from lake divers. The collector meticulously displayed and cataloged every piece along with its provenance. His markings were crude at the time, but now they have proved to be very important. Many of the pieces went through electrolysis to remove crusted rust.

This is the first time this relic has been on the open market, and it is truly a great piece of early American History. All ball gauges are rare and usually when one becomes available it is for the larger cannonballs. This one is for a field piece and the first I have seen. It definitely merits a place in an advanced collection or museum. As with all the pieces in this esteemed collection, a Certificate of Authenticity will be included.