Civil War era Minié (or Minni) ball bullet, used in muzzle-loaded rifled muskets, this one has been fired. The bullet is made from lead and was originally conical in shape; there is a set of three grooves around the base; the bullet itself is lightweight and hollow, an intentional design created to cause the most damage possible. Due to firing, this bullet is extremely misshapen, the top has been melted and flattened into an almost mushroom-like shape and the base is no longer cylindrical, however the tri-lines are still visible.