Revolutionary War 6-pounder cannonball, recovered years ago at Fort Ticonderoga (ON HOLD,N)

This is another nice early piece coming out of a 60-year collection of French & Indian War, Revolutionary War, and War of 1812 artillery. Being offered is a Revolutionary War 6-pounder solid-shot cannonball. It has a diameter of 3 1/2 inches and weighs 5 pounds, 7 ounces. During the Revolution both sides made extensive use of artillery and 6-pounder cannons (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 and still shows the early manufacturing mold seam. It does show some very light pitting but solid and not flaking, typical of being almost 250 years old and 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 the time, but now they have proved to be very important. Many of the pieces went through electrolysis to remove crusted rust.

This is the first time this relic 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.