December 10-13, 2024 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/10/2024
This fine, bronze 6-pounder is 57 ½ inches long from muzzle face to cascabel, with a 3 7/8” bore of 45 inch depth. The trunnions are 3 3/8 in. in diameter and extend approximately 3 ½ ” long from the barrel proper; the left is unmarked while the right trunnion is struck with “TTS/PP/[a circle with vertical, bisecting line]”; there are no rim base numbers. The first chase has astragals and fillets at each end and an incise-chiseled “6” surrounded by a beaded border. The reinforce has a chiseled-in-relief Seal of the State of New York; behind that is a neatly engraved and chiseled script “SNY”, also with a beaded border. Behind the State of New York engraving at the breech, we find the a “No. 11” and the quarter-weight system for the barrel’s weight stamped in: “5-3-2”, signifying a weight of approximately 646 pounds. There is a small groove in the breech reinforce, with no other markings on the breech proper; the area around the touchhole shows evidence of having been drilled for a later-period lock. This is one of the 6-pounder guns believed to have been cast in 1797 at the Springfield foundry of James Byers and closely mirrors in form and decoration those cast by him for the Continental Army, the “USA” devices of the former replaced by an “SNY” motif. These guns were part of an order for 6-pounder field guns placed by the state of New York at the opening of the Quasi-War. At least four cannon of this pattern are known, all sharing comparable dimensions and weight, as well as decoration, with the exception of the New York coat of arms, which is found only on this gun. The cascabel was drilled out laterally, indicating that at one time in its history, it had been mounted on an 1820s-type US carriage of late Gribeauval form made at either the Washington or Watervliet Arsenals, which employed an elevating screw that attached to the cascabel by this means. Based on this physical evidence it was decided to mount it on a reproduction carriage of this form, rather than the Congreve or early Gribeauval carriage likely made for it when first produced, which utilized different elevation screw systems. The carriage was built by Dave Seedenberg of Seed Cannon using seasoned solid planks of seasoned white oak and a combination of hand-forged and investment-cast reproduction, iron hardware, the latter taken from an 1832 Washington Arsenal carriage in the collection of Matt Switlik. The wheels are ring tires with 14 radial nails in the spoke areas, as Switlik’s research indicated was the correct form for these guns; the carriage is literally an exact copy of Switlik’s restored, 1832 original, including the unique elevation screw. A final touch was the trail ammunition box; the entire carriage is a highly functional machine, yet also a work of art. Thanks are due to Dave Seed and Matt Switlik for the appropriate mounting of this stellar bronze tube to the proper carriage form on which is what once mounted in its past history. PROVENANCE: From a Massachusetts collection; 6-pounder tube purchased as lot 303 in the Amoskeag Auction sale of 26 MAR 2022. CONDITION: The exterior of the barrel is a mix of goldenrod and a deep ocher patina, with the remains of what appears to be an old varnish or lacquer applied to it, which should be able to be easily removed by a metal conservator; the unmarked face of the muzzle shows a mix of light and some moderate dings; the bore is bore is lightly pitted its full length.
This is not a standard shippable item and will require 3rd party shipping or pickup arrangements to be made.
Item Dimensions: 120 x 84 x 60"