RARE – Civil War “US” Navy marked cannon tompion (SOLD)

This is another one of those items that you never come across, a Navy Tompion. This one is made of iron and wood and measures 5 ½” with a 4 ¾” overall diameter. The wooden insert is marked with what looks like “HLE”, below that is a “US” within an anchor, and on the bottom is the number “3” – for use on a 3” gun.

While primarily a land-based, field artillery piece, some 3-inch rifles were occasionally repurposed for naval use, though they were distinct from the specialized, shorter "Dahlgren Boat Howitzers" specifically designed for boat and landing operations.

Civil War gunboats and naval forces commonly fired 3-inch projectiles, particularly from Dahlgren boat howitzers and sometimes 3-inch ordnance rifles, which were used on smaller vessels, ship launches, and in shallow-water, amphibious raids. These guns often fired 3-inch diameter shells, shrapnel, and canister shot.

This piece came out of a large Civil War artillery collection and is the first time on the open market. Tompions were necessary to keep the cannon barrel free from moisture and debris when not in use. In my book “Civil War Artillery – A Pictorial Introduction”, I discuss this subject further. This is the first one of this style that I ever came across. There is this type of design on a larger scale Civil War cannon (see pictures).