French & Indian War Swivel Gun Cannonball, recovered at Lake George, NY (ON HOLD,N)

This is a very nice early piece coming out of an old Revolutionary War and French & Indian War collection. The small size cannonball has a 2” diameter and weighs 1-pound, 6-ounces. These balls were fried from gunboats with swivel cannons (see pictures). This one was recovered in the early 20th century at Lake George, NY

The Battle of Lake George was fought on September 8, 1755. British forces of 1,500 soldiers and 200 Mohawk Indians under the command of William Johnson defeated a much larger allied French and Indian force of 3,500 under German General Baron Dieskau.

In June 1759, British General Jeffrey Amherst arrived in Lake George and soon proceeded to build a new fort at the lake. The site was the high ground east of the ruins of Fort William Henry, which had been destroyed by the French in 1757. A provincial officer described the fort as "the walls [are] about 14 feet thick built of stone and lime."

This small cannonball is in very nice condition with no rust or flaking. There are examples of deck guns that fired these balls in “Collector’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution” by Neumann & Kravic” (see pictures). It comes in the acrylic display case pictured. This is a great piece of French & Indian War history.

Revolutionary War and French & Indian War artifacts have always been difficult to find, and I am fortunate to have quite a few pieces in stock. With the upcoming of the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding next year, there will be a revitalized interest. Just about all Revolutionary War relics and artifacts will be in demand, which will only add to their scarcity and price. I am already seeing a substantial increase in purchases.