Revolutionary War 3-pounder cannonball, recovered at Fort Ticonderoga, NY

This is another nice early piece coming out of a 60-year collection of Revolutionary War, French & Indian War, and War of 1812 artillery. Being offered is a Revolutionary War 3-pounder solid-shot cannonball. It has a diameter of 2.77 inches and weighs 2-pounds, 15-ounces and has a prominent sprue hole. During the Revolution both sides made extensive use of artillery and 3-pounder cannons. Actually, there is one on display at the Fort Ticonderoga Museum (see pictures).

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. 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 a mostly smooth surface, typical of an early recovery. This collection began in the late 1950s and was created by private acquisitions, closed museums, diggers, and lake divers. The collector meticulously displayed and cataloged every piece along with its provenance. Many of the pieces went through electrolysis to remove crusted rust.

This is the first time this cannonball has been on the open market, and it is truly a nice piece of early American History. It definitely merits a place in an advanced collection or museum. It comes in the acrylic display case pictured. As with all the pieces in this esteemed collection, a Certificate of Authenticity will be included.