Unknown Lead, Sabot Maybe?

[FrankieG.]

Last June I found this item in my parent's back yard in Prince George County, VA about 5 yards from where I found a possible case shot ball. See topic- http://www.findmall.com/read.php?30,782643

I found this about 7'' down and when I pulled it from the ground my guesses were lead pipe piece or shell sabot. It's about 3 inches in diameter, 1/4 an inch thick and has an irregular height from 1/2 inch to 3/4 inches.

If this is a sabot, I'm amazed it's intact if it's from a fired shell. Most sabots I've seen are in fragments.

 

[FrankieG.]

Additional photos- this item is smooth on the inside, the outside has irregular texture.

The grey spot on the piece is digger damage- I was off target when digging!

 

[FrankieG.]

The item was cast and has a casting seam which I circled.

 

[FrankieG.]

One side of this item is fairly level.

 

[FrankieG.]

When I found this it was laying on it's side. I actually struck it on the side of the hole. The piece was facing east/west with the digger damage side facing east. The shell fragment is not related to this, I just used it to prop up the lead item to illustrate how it was sitting in the ground.

 

[d-2]

I would think that if it was part of a sabot it would have rifleing marks in it. I hope it is a piece of sabot but I aint got a clue. It is a neat find though...d2

 

[Canewrap]

Sorry, but it looks like an old piece of plumbing fixture, like a lead toilet ring.

 

[FrankieG.]

Sorry, but it looks like an old piece of plumbing fixture, like a lead toilet ring.

Yes, this is most likely what I have. My parent's lot was occupied some time during the 20th century and there is lots of trash on the site.

 

[jbow]

If it is a plumbing lead piece it should have hammered marks on one side. Here is how those were made, iirc... The two pieces of cast iron soil pipe were joined, They had a "female" end and the "male end was usually cut to the pproper length and inserted into the famale end. Then a piece of large sort of rope stuff was hammered down into the gap between the two pieces to hold them in place. Melted lead was then poured into the gap left between the two pipes, there should not be a seam. Once cooled and hardened it would be hammered a bit with a special tool to better seal the lead to the male pipe.

So, one side should have some sort pf markings from a blunt slightly curved instrument, maybe 1" long and no seam.

Hope this helps.

Julien