Original 1780 Battle of Charleston South Carolina Excavated Small Ship's Iron Falconet Swivel Cannon
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Original Item: Only One available. Recently acquired from the estate of a prominent American collector this is a fantastic small Falconet ship's iron cannon that was excavated in 2020 from Charleston South Carolina. It is encased in pitting and petrified mud and the details of the cannon have long been obscured. Of particular note is that the trunnions were removed, likely because after it was taken out of service, this tube was used as ballast in the hull of a ship. By removing the trunnions it allowed the tube to gently roll or move inside the ballast storage area. Multiple ships were sunk and scuttled in the Charleston Harbor during the American Civil War making this a historically signifigant piece.
It was excavated on 2020 North of Charleston near the Ashley River in a dried swamp. This is known as area 42 during the Battle of Charleston in 1780 and was dug by local diggers Clyde Chilson and others. It was chemically treated for 6 months and was dug legally with permission and sold in April 2021.
The research binder and plaque are unfortunately not induced (we didn't get them but if we ever do we will send them along) but we will enclose printed photos of the binder and plaque with the cannon.
Today, most vessels are equipped with large tanks in order to use water as ballast. Up until the early twentieth century, however, other heavy material had to be used to weigh ships down. Usually, there was some form of permanent ballast on board – e.g. massive pig- iron bars that were stowed near the keel at the lowest possible part of a ship. Whether or how much ballast was required also depended on the cargo. A vessel packed with coal or timber, for instance, usually did not need any additional weight. The heavy cargo doubled as ballast. Ships that were running empty or had only very light cargo – such as tea, for example – did need additional ballasting. Rocks, stones, gravel, wet sand or other heavy materials were then loaded into the bottom of the hold to guarantee stability.
It measures approximately 35 inches in overall length from the end of the cascabel to the muzzle and has a 2" bore indicating that it is an 2-pounder Falconette per the Tower of London Classification of Bore Diameter chart. Weight is approximately 155 Lbs.
This is a fantastic
Type: Cannon (Naval Swivel Gun, Falconette)
Origin: Unknown, likely European
In service: 1800 - 1850
Wars:
Revolutionary War, American Civil War
Specifications:
Mass: 155 lb barrel
Barrel length: 35 inches
Caliber: 2 inches
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