VERY RARE!! Revolutionary War canister/grapeshot ball off the gunboat “Philadelphia”, well documented and Smithsonian involvement

Most of us who are involved in the Revolutionary War are very familiar with the Gunboat “Philadelphia”, it is the oldest surviving American fighting vessel. Being offered here is a 1-inch grapeshot/canister ball which came from the Philadelphia.  

The Philadelphia rested on the bottom of Lake Champlain until it was located and recovered in 1935 by Lorenzo F. Hagglund with much of its equipment intact. Hagglund, a civil engineer, exhibited it for many years in New York as a tourist attraction. In 1964 It came to the Smithsonian Museum, complete with the 24-pound ball that sent the gunboat to the bottom.

On October 11, 1776, the Americans met the enemy in a hard-fought battle, but the superior firepower of the British squadron proved decisive. An hour after the initial battle ended, the badly damaged Philadelphia sank. The Philadelphia and the other vessels in Benedict Arnold’s fleet had served their purpose.

When the Philadelphia was recovered, much of the debris field surrounding it was left behind – this is one of those items. These pieces recently went to auction. Afterwards, the Smithsonian Institution contacted the purchaser to see if they could acquire some of these relics to display with the original gunboat. He donated some of the items to the museum and the correspondence is included.

Each item will come with a 14-page provenance packet, having copies of signed and notarized affidavits. Also, a copy of the deed from the Smithsonian Museum will be in the packets. Originally, the artifacts were a gift from Colonel Hagglund to his helper Bill Resler. Resler later sold the collection. 

The provenance is about as good as it gets for dug and recovered items. The relics by themselves might not seem valuable, but historically speaking, relics such as these are a major part of America’s history. This is a rare opportunity to add to a collection very few people could ever dream of - it is the first time I had an opportunity to handle anything from the Philadelphia. This ball comes in the display case with a beautiful description tag.  This is one of the items that the Smithsonian wanted to add to their Philadelphia Exhibit.

With the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding this year, interest in the Revolutionary War and its relics are expected to significantly increase. This renewed enthusiasm will drive demand for virtually all Revolutionary War artifacts, further contributing to their scarcity and rising prices.