American Civil War era Minié (or Minni) ball bullet, used in muzzle-loaded rifled muskets. The bullet is made from lead and 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. The tip has been damaged, on one side there is a deep gash that starts near the topmost point and hits just under 1/2 cm down the bullet at its deepest point, on the opposite side of this gash there is a scored indent; the object is almost completely coated in a white patina (lead carbonate) which can be caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide and is considered to be a common sign of old age in lead objects.