Revolutionary War Iron Wrist Shackle for prisoner, recovered at Crown Point, N.Y.

This is another nice early piece coming out of a 60-year collection of French & Indian War, Revolutionary War, and War of 1812 artifacts. Being offered is an excavated section of Revolutionary War shackles. It is made of iron, measures 5 ¼” x 3 ¼” x 1 ½” and was made by a blacksmith.

Wrist shackles are a type of restraint device that has been used throughout history for various purposes. They are typically made of iron and designed to enclose the wrists, preventing freedom of movement. The use of wrist shackles can be traced back to ancient times, where they were primarily used as a means of restraining prisoners and slaves. Shackles were often heavy and uncomfortable, making it difficult for prisoners to escape or defend themselves. This was recovered many years ago at Crown Point, NY.

At the outbreak of the American Revolution, the rebellious colonists looked to Crown Point to aid their cause. The surrender of Fort Crown Point to American rebel troops commanded by Seth Warner in May of 1775 yielded 114 pieces of cannon, heavy ordnance sorely needed by the Americans, and many prisoners. Colonel Henry Knox carried twenty-nine of these cannons to Boston during that winter to force the British out of the city.

In “Collector’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution”, by Neumann and Kravic, there is a complete set of these shackles (see pictures). There is another on display at the Ticonderoga Museum (see pictures). The shackle is in very nice condition, it shows its age, but it is solid and not flaking, typical of being 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. His markings were crude at times, but now proved to be very significant. Some of the pieces went through electrolysis to remove crusted rust.

This is the first time this artifact 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.