RARE - French & Indian War 9-pounder cannonball, recovered at Fort Niagara, NY

This is another nice early piece coming out of an old Revolutionary War collection. Being offered is a French & Indian War 9-pounder solid-shot cannonball (probably French or British). It has a diameter of 4” and weighs 9 pounds.   It still shows a round sprue and casting seam. It was recovered many years ago from Fort Niagara, NY.

Fort Niagara was a strategic site in the French and Indian War. It fell to the British after they conducted a nineteen-day siege in July 1759, which was called the Battle of Fort Niagara. The French relief force sent to relieve the besieged garrison was ambushed at the Battle of La Belle-Famille. The post's commander, Pierre Pouchot, surrendered the fort to the British commander.

Sir William Johnson initially led the New York Militia. The Irish-born Johnson became the expedition's leader after General John Prideaux literally lost his head; he stepped in front of a mortar being test-fired during the siege. The British controlled the fort for the next thirty-seven years before they handed it over to the Americans after the Revolutionary War.

Having a diameter of 4”, it would have been fired from a 9-pounder cannon – one is on display at Fort Ticonderoga (see pictures). Very few relics came out of Fort Niagara, and this is only the second one I had. The ball remains in very nice condition, having some overall roughness, but no chipping or flaking. This is the first time this cannonball has been on the open market, and it is truly a great piece of early American History, worthy of a museum or advanced collection.

With the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding this year, interest in the Revolutionary War and the French & Indian War relics is significantly increasing. This renewed enthusiasm is driving the demand for virtually all Revolutionary War artifacts, further contributing to their scarcity and rising prices.

I am witnessing a notable uptick in purchases of these items, which reflects the growing celebrations for the anniversary and the heightened value of Revolutionary War memorabilia.