American Civil War era Minié ball style bullet, used in muzzle-loaded rifled muskets. The bullet is made from lead and is conical in shape, the characteristic tri-ring grooves surrounding the base are present as well as the recess in the bottom, which was created to cause the maximum amount of damage possible when shot. The top is extremely dented with one dent cutting into the tip and creating a wedge, and several more surrounding the top and causing slight deformation; the base also has a slight dent which has causes a slight bump that sticks out on the bottom rim, there is some kind of scraping damage above this jutting dent which eliminates the tri-rings in that area. There is a white and brown patina on much of the surface of the bullet, this is considered to be a normal sign of age in lead objects; the buildup of a rust-colored residue in the recessed base is less common, but is still not considered to be abnormal in older lead items.