My misterious cannon

I have a heck of a time identifying a small antique iron cannon I recently purchased.

Any help will be appreciated.

This is what I know. I purchased the cannon recently from an elderly woman who has had it in the family for over 40 years. Her father in law was in construction and unearthed the cannon while excavating land along the north shore of Long Island near Oyster Bay. This excavation was in preparation for constructing a high end residential development.

It is a small unmarked cannon, measuring only 18 3/8 inches long, weighing 53 pounds and having a 1 1/2 inch bore.

I have included more of the cannon at https://sites.google.com/site/mysteriouscannon/

If you have any ideas, please contact me at [email protected] or 512-284-7846.

Thank you for your help.

Bob Matthews
U.S.A.

I thought they identified this gun over on GBO for you?

Bob,

No matter how many places you post this it is still going to be a small signal cannon from an unknown maker sometime between say 1880 and 1910 alot of them were cast during this period it is not a military item it is not worth thousands of dollars.... what more can we tell you?

A generic line-throwing cannon. That use would place it appropriately on the shore of Long Island.
rescue cannon

It could be a swivel gun, used on small boats, the fighting tops of sailing ships, etc. That area was used during the Revolution by whale boats on raids, which usually carried several swivel guns- from small to large, up to 6 pounders- although I don't know how you would attach a six pound swivel gun to a whaleboat. Probably in the middle of the boat.

I think Kabar his the nail on the head. The styling of this gun points to the late 19th early 20th century. Although it could probabaly be fired live, I suspect it was cast as a blank shooter and noise maker. It was esentially a "repro" gun when it was cast 100 years ago.

Still a nice find. I'd have been proud to have found it!