Rev War 6-pouder cannonball, recovered at Fort Ticonderoga (SOLD)

This is another nice early piece coming out of a 60-year collection of Revolutionary War and French and Indian War artillery. Being offered is a Revolutionary War 6-pounder solid-shot cannonball. It has a diameter of 3.4 inches and weighs 5 pounds, 6 ounces – this weight and size strongly indicates it may be a British ball. It has a very pronounced mold seam. During the Revolution both sides made extensive use of artillery and 6-pounder cannons.

At the beginning of the war the Patriots had almost no artillery of their own, but Washington used captured British guns from Fort Ticonderoga to drive the British out of Boston in 1776 (see period cannon). The Americans eventually developed the capacity to manufacture their own cannon, and they obtained many of the guns they needed from France. This cannonball was recovered from Ft. Ticonderoga.

Located on Lake Champlain in northeastern New York, 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.

The ball remains in very nice condition, having some overall roughness, but no chipping or flaking. This collection began in the late 1950s and was created by private acquisitions, closed museums, diggers, 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, but not all.

This is the first time this cannonball has been on the open market, and it is truly a great piece of early American History. 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. As with all items on the website, the very friendly layaway is available.