Revolutionary War Artillery 12-pounder Canister Shell, found at Lake Champlain, NY (ON HOLD,N)

This is another rare item out of a 60-year collection of Revolutionary War/French and Indian War artillery. It is a Revolutionary War metal Canister Round. It measures 5 ½” high, 4” diameter, and has 19 canister balls of various sizes averaging about 1 ½” each. The canister has two crude iron bands. It weighs 8-pounds, 5-ounces.

This would have been fired from a 12-pounder cannon (see pictures). It was found many years ago at Lake Champlain, NY. This area was called the Battle of Valcour Island.

Valcour Island is on the western side of Lake Champlain between the present-day states of Vermont and New York. On October 11, 1776, the British fleet under the overall command of Guy Carleton traveled south on Lake Champlain from their supply base at St. John. Benedict Arnold was waiting in Valcour Bay, hidden from the British view until they rounded the island.

In the subsequent three-day battle, the British destroyed or captured 11 of the 15 Patriot boats. While a resounding tactical victory, the British were unable to capitalize on their control of Lake Champlain to capture Fort Ticonderoga. After a desultory probe, Carleton led his forces back to Canada for the winter. This battle was the only ‘fleet on fleet” naval battle of the Revolutionary war between British and Patriot ships.

The canister round is in nice condition, having surface rust, but remains solid. This collection began in the late 1950s and was created by private acquisitions, closed museums, and from 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. There is an example of this round in “Round Shot and Rammers”, by Harold Peterson (see pictures). There is also one in the Revolutionary War Museum in Yorktown, VA (see pictures).

This is the first time this shell 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. Surviving canister rounds are extremely rare, very few have been recovered, especially in this condition.  As with all the pieces in this esteemed collection, a Certificate of Authenticity will be included.