University of Northern Iowa

Bullet Box 1

Displaying 51 - 100 of 101
Catalog # Name Description
51 1989.43.4 Shrapnel Large piece of metal shrapnel from the Battle of Northern Tunisia, or Tunisian Campaign, one of the several operations that too place during the larger North African Campaign, where the Allied and Axis powers fought over control of North Africa between June 1940 and May of 1943; this campaign in particular began in November of 1942 and ended when the Axis powers were officially expelled from North Africa in May of 1943. The object has two flat sides, the area between which is rough and jagged with several sharp points, it is also very rusty.
52 1989.43.766A Bullet 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. Object is completely coated in a white patina (lead carbonate) a normal reaction caused by age.
53 1989.43.766AA Bullet American Civil War era Minié ball style bullet, used in muzzle-loaded rifled muskets. The bullet is made of lead and conical in shape, it has the characteristic grooved tri-ring pattern around the base and the bottom is recessed to allow for maximum damage upon impact. The tip has been deformed by a series of dents, there are also several deep slashes marring the entire surface of the object, although one side has significantly more damage than the other; there is a small piece jutting out from the bottom lip caused by a dented slash on the base. There is a white patina present on the surface of the bullet, this can be caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide and is considered to be a normal sign of aging in lead objects.
54 1989.43.766AB Bullet 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 base of the object has been crumpled and dented, making it wider and slightly flared in some areas, this deformation has also caused the tip to lean very slightly to one side; there is a white corrosion (lead carbonate) visible on much of the surface of the bullet, this is a common sign of age in lead objects as it can be caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide.
55 1989.43.766B Bullet Civil War era Minié (or Minni) ball bullet, used in muzzle-loaded rifled muskets. The bullet is made of lead and was once conical in shape, but has taken extreme damage in several areas, causing serious deformation; the typical tri-ring pattern at the base is present, although damage has removed them in some areas. There are three points of major damage present on the object, the tip has a large, pit-like indent, there is an approx. 2 cm long by 1 cm wide gouge on one side, and a 1 1/2 cm by 1 cm triangular groove at the base which curves inward and blocks the previously hollow bottom; there is also several smaller scratches, scuffs, and pits across the surface of the bullet; the lead is very discolored and corroded, almost no gray is still visible underneath, this corrosion exists in two colors, tan and white.
56 1989.43.766C Bullet 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. There is a large gouge (approx. 2 cm long by 1 cm wide) on one side, the edges of which flare out, slightly changing the shape of the object; another, smaller gash (approx. 1 cm long by 1/2 cm wide) can be found on the opposite side, this gash is at the base of the bullet and has caused a slight indent on the edge of the recessed bottom; there are also several small cuts towards the tip of the object. There is a white patina (lead carbonate) present on the surface of the bullet, this is common in older lead objects as it can be caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide; there is also a significant amount of rust-colored residue present in the inside of the recessed bottom.
57 1989.43.766D Bullet 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. There is some minor damage and warping in the metal around the recessed bottom of the bullet; the surface of the object is completely coated in a white patina (lead carbonate) a normal sign of age caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide.
58 1989.43.766E Bullet 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. Object is completely coated in a white patina (lead carbonate) a normal reaction caused by age; inside of the recessed base there is a concentrated buildup of a rust-colored residue with what appears to be very thin, colorless fibers or hairs of some kind imbedded in it.
59 1989.43.766F Bullet 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 bullet is slightly dented on the base of one side, on the opposite side of this dent there are three, slightly curved scratch marks; the object is beginning to form a white patina (lead carbonate) a normal sign of age that is caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide.
60 1989.43.766G Bullet 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 of the bullet has been slightly flattened and there are two significant gouges, one on either side of the shoulder area; the object is completely coated in a white patina (lead carbonate) a normal reaction caused by age.
61 1989.43.766H Bullet American Civil War era Minié (or Minni) ball bullet, used in muzzle-loaded rifled muskets. The bullet is made of lead and was originally conical in shape but has since been completely deformed, the entire front has been smashed and melted down leaving one side mostly flat and creating a protrusion coming out from one side; the base is more intact, with the characteristic tri-ring pattern still prominent and visible, but the ridge around the hollow recess at the bottom of the bullet has been smashed in on one side, creating an almost crescent shaped base as well as slightly warping the tri-rings. There is some white corrosion (lead carbonate) as well as some rust-colored residue present on the surface of the bullet as well as inside the hollow recess, these are considered to be a normal sign of age.
62 1989.43.766I Bullet 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. There are two notable dents on the base, one is round in shape and located just above the tri-rings, the other is linear in shape and located in the middle of the tri-rings on the opposite side; the object is completely coated in a white patina (lead carbonate) a normal sign of age in lead objects as it is a reaction most frequently caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide.
63 1989.43.766J Bullet American Civil War era Williams "Cleaner" bullet, type III, use in .58 caliber rifle muskets. Bullet is made of lead with a zinc and hardened lead "plug" made up of a pin and single zinc disc attached at the bottom; the overall shape is shorter than other bullets from the same time period and the tip is completely rounded with a small raised circle at the very top; this bullet is distinguishable from the other two types of "Cleaner" bullets both because of its uniquely rounded shape and the presence of only two grooved rings around the base were types I and II have three. The Object is covered in a white corrosion (lead carbonate), this is most frequently caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide and is considered to be a normal sign of age in lead objects.
64 1989.43.766K Bullet American Civil War era Williams "Cleaner" bullet, type III, use in .58 caliber rifle muskets. Bullet is made of lead with a zinc and hardened lead "plug" made up of a pin and single zinc disc attached at the bottom; the overall shape is shorter than other bullets from the same time period and the tip is completely rounded; this bullet is distinguishable from the other two types of "Cleaner" bullets both because of its uniquely rounded shape and the presence of only two grooved rings around the base were types I and II have three. There is some denting and scratching present across the surface of the object, the most notable being a dented/flattened section on the bottom base of the "plug"; there is also some white corrosion and rust-colored residue visible, this is considered to be a normal sign of aging in lead objects.
65 1989.43.766L Bullet American Civil War era lead bullet used specifically in Sharps carbine guns. While both are made from lead and are conical in shape, Sharps bullets are distinct from the standard Minié ball bullets that were popular at the time, the tip is more pointed, there are only two indented rings around the base, these rings are wider and slightly differ from one another in size, however the feature that most clearly sets them apart is the lack of the recess in the base that Minié balls are known for, instead the bullet is completely filled and has a flat base. This bullet looks particularly similar to a Confederate Minié ball due to the two, wide, uneven rings, however, the filled base distinguishes the two. There is some minor pitting and scratching on the surface of the object as well as a white patina (iron carbonate) beginning to form in several areas, this is considered to be a normal sign of age in lead objects as it is most often caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide.
66 1989.43.766M Bullet American Civil War era Enfield-Pritchett bullet with paper cartridge. Made out of lead and conical in shape, although the tip is rounded; the entire bullet is smooth, there is no ridging as is commonly found with Minié bullets; there is a recess in the bottom which has been partially filled with the paper cartridge. The paper cartridge starts a little over halfway down the base of the bullet, it has been circled around the bottom part of the object very tightly with no loose edges and has a single, completely straight seam, the excess paper at the bottom has been carefully and tightly tucked into the recess. The object has some of the white patina (lead carbonate) that is common in old lead pieces due to long-term exposure to carbon dioxide and the paper has been browned with time, although there is no visible deterioration.
67 1989.43.766N Bullet American Civil War era lead bullet, the exact type of bullet cannot be determined due to physical damage (likely caused by firing), but based on the characteristics of the areas of the base and bottom that have remained mostly intact it can be inferred that it was some variety of a Sharps carbine. The entire front of the bullet has been smashed down onto the base and flattened, the resulting shape is squat and mushroom like with the edges of the flattened top folding inward towards the "stem" of the base; some parts of the base, namely the bottommost grooved ring and the very bottom of the bullet, remain almost completely intact, the ring is wider and slightly deeper than that of the standard Minié ball, which helps to narrow down the possible types of bullet, along with the bottom being completely filled in other than a single, small hole in the center, a characteristic almost exclusively found in Sharps bullets. Besides the deformation damage, there is significant pitting present on the top of the bullet, also present is a white patina (lead carbonate) that is beginning to form in a few areas on the bullet, most notably on the underside of the smashed top, and on the pits that have been formed on the top, this patina is a normal sign of age in lead objects and is most often caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide.
68 1989.43.766O Bullet American Civil War era Enfield-Pritchett bullet, fired from English Enfield rifles which were used almost exclusively by the Confederate Army. The bullet is made from lead and conical in shape; while Enfield-Pritchetts have a recessed base just like the more standard Civil War Minié ball style bullet, their tips are more sounded in shape and they lack the characteristic tri-ring grooves, instead having completely smooth sides. The tip of the bullet has significant damage, there are grooves and dents of various sizes as well as one gouge with scoring present inside of it; there is also faint vertical scoring around the base, starting at the lip around the bottom recess and going up to around the middle point; the bottom has been dented as well, slightly deforming its circular shape and caving in on the recess at the bottom; finally there is a white patina (lead carbonate) as well as a rust-colored discoloration present on much of the surface of the bullet, these are both considered to be a common sign of age in lead objects and are caused by exposure.
69 1989.43.766P Bullet American Civil War era Colt Revolving Rifle bullet. The bullet is made out of lead, has two ring indents around the base, and a small circular "dimple" or cavity in the center of the bottom. The tip has been pushed inward, creating a rounded, lopsided appearance as well as seriously shortening the bullet overall; whatever force caused this deformation also created a ring around the top as well as a small divot where the pointed tip should be; there is a white patina (lead carbonate) covering the entire surface of the bullet, this is a normal sign of age in lead objects as it is most often caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide.
70 1989.43.766Q Bullet American Civil War era lead bullet, it is not possible to determine the exact type due to extensive warping and damage to all areas that could normally be used for identification. The bullet is conical and rather pointed in shape, although the very tip has been slightly flattened; the bottom has been smashed completely, significantly widening the base and obliterating any recess or divot that could be used in identification; there does appear to have been at least two grooved rings based on a small section in which they are visible, although their original size and placement is unable to be determined, along with whether or not there was ever a third ring present; the very bottom has a slight dip in the center that may imply that there was once a recess in the base, but it may also just be due to whatever impact caused the damage, making its presence there notable but not definitive. The entire bullet is covered in a brown and white patina, this is common in old lead objects and is considered to be a normal sign of age.
71 1989.43.766R Bullet American Civil War era Minié ball style bullet, used in muzzle-loaded rifles muskets. The bullet is made out of lead and is conical in shape, there are three grooved rings surrounding the base and the bottom is recessed, an intentional technique used to cause maximum damage upon impact. There is a large dent on the base, causing one side of the recessed bottom to cave in on itself and deforming the shape of the bullet, this dent has also warped the tri-rings carved around the base; on the tip there is a significantly smaller, almost unnoticeable dent that has slightly warped the tip on the opposite side of where the bottom has been dented, just below this top dent there is a small but prominent scratch in the metal. The entire bullet is coated in a white patina (lead carbonate) which is most commonly caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide, this is considered to be a normal sign of age.
72 1989.43.766S Bullet American Civil War era Minié ball style bullet, used in muzzle-loaded rifled muskets. The bullet is made or lead and conical in shape, it has the characteristic tri-ring pattern of grooves in the base as well as a recessed in the bottom which is intentionally designed to cause as much damage as possible when fired. One side of the bullet has been completely flattened, creating a piece that protrudes from the side as well as slightly warping the bottom, other than that the side opposite the flattening has remained entirely intact. There is a brown and white patina beginning to form on the surface of the bullet, this is considered to be a normal sign of age in lead objects.
73 1989.43.766T Bullet 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.
74 1989.43.766U Bullet American Civil War era Minié ball style bullet used in muzzle-loaded rifled muskets. The object is made of lead and conical in shape with the tri-ring grooves and recessed bottom that are the standard for the type; the recess is an intentional design used to cause the most damage possible when firing. There are a few nicks and scratches on the surface of the object, but what is most notable is the strange coloration/patina, the bullet is almost completely covered with a bronze color which is shiny in its look, this is abnormal as lead is naturally dulled to gray after cooling due to exposure to oxygen, then further dulled over time by the white patina that is most often caused by exposure to carbon dioxide, it is very uncommon to see a lead object that is this color or reflective/shiny in appearance.
75 1989.43.766V Bullet American Civil War era Minié ball style bullet use in muzzle-leaded rifled muskets. The bullet is made from lead and is conical in shape, although the tip has been flattened; there are three grooved rings surrounding the base; the bottom is recessed, this is an intentional design used in order to cause the maximum possible damage upon firing. There is significant and somewhat unusual damage present, the tip has been flattened, there are scoring marks on the top of this flattened area that may have been caused either by a particular impact or done intentionally by a soldier carving it; there is a large divot made on the same side as the flattened tip, it is just under 1 cm long and just over 1/2 cm wide and also quite deep; there is what appears to be a small puncture hole made towards the bottom of one side, it is circular with a few scrapes of varying depths coming off of it, giving the impression that it was potentially done intentionally with some kind of blade, the puncture goes all the way through and if you look from the inside you can see that it is right next to a much larger hole on the inside recess of the bullet that goes up into the area between the recess and the outside surface of the bullet; this hole is deep and does not appear to have been made intentionally based on its shape and location, meaning it was likely caused by an air bubble during the casting process; there are several smaller areas of damage, such as some minor scratches and some misshaping of the base. The bullet has a white and brown patina, this is considered to be a normal sign of age in lead objects.
76 1989.43.766W Bullet American Civil War era Williams "Cleaner" bullet, type III, used in muzzle-loaded rifled muskets. The bullet is made out of lead with a "plug" made from a zinc pin and flat, circular base; the overall shape of the bullet is conical with a slightly rounded top; there are two grooved rings around the base and another two around the tip and shoulder. There are two notable scratches next to one another on the "plug", one of which extends up slightly into the lead base of the bullet, the other is wider and deeper, but does not extend off of the zinc. There is a white patina (lead carbonate) beginning to form on the surface of the bullet, this is most frequently caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide and is a normal sign of age in lead objects.
77 1989.43.766X Bullet 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 with a very pointed tip; there are three grooved rings around the base and the bottom is recessed to cause the maximum possible damage on impact. The base has been dented in on both sides, narrowing the recess; a white patina is beginning to form on the surface of the bullet, this is a normal sign of age and is most often caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide.
78 1989.43.766Y Bullet American Civil War era Minié ball style bullet used in muzzle-loaded rifled muskets. The bullet is made of lead and conical in shape with the grooved tri-rings and recessed base that characterize the Minié ball style, but it has been deformed, or possibly carved, into an unusual shape. There is a rim formed around the tip that makes it appear as though the entire top has been pushed in slightly, but the pointed nose of the tip has not been flattened like it would be if this shaping had been caused by impact after firing; there are scratches, dents, and gouges of varying severity, size, and depth, these scratches have concealed the tri-rings in some areas; one small section of the base is completely smooth, completely erasing the rings. A white patina is beginning to form on the surface of the bullet, this is considered to be a normal sign of age in lead objects and is frequently caused by exposure to carbon dioxide.
79 1989.43.766Z Bullet Deformed American Civil War era lead bullet, bullet type cannot be definitively discerned, but based on what information is still available it is likely a Minié ball. The recessed base is still present, as are some faint sections of what appears to be the grooved tri-rings, but the entire tip has been smashed down over the base, forming a shape similar to a mushroom; the bottom has been deformed and is no longer circular. The bullet is covered in a white patina and has some rust-colored residue present in several areas, most notable is a large buildup in the recessed base.
80 1989.43.768 Bullet Solid bullet with one side flattened. Found in the battlefield at Broken Wagon Wheel near Fort Kearney, Wyoming. 1989.43.768 (Bullet) image
81 1989.43.769 Bullet Found in field west Parnesielf and northeast of Latenami. Dented on one side. Color: GY Portion of bullet is dragged off.
82 1989.43.771A Bullet Caliber minie. Silver; four grooves.
83 1989.43.771B Bullet Caliber minie. Silver; four grooves.
84 1989.43.771C Bullet Caliber minie. Silver; four grooves.
85 1989.43.771D Bullet Caliber minie. Silver; four grooves.
86 1989.43.771E Bullet Caliber minie. Silver; four grooves.
87 1989.43.771F Bullet Caliber minie. Silver; four grooves.
88 1989.43.771G Bullet Caliber minie. Silver; four grooves.
89 1990.44.13 Bullet American Civil War era musket ball, used in smooth bore muskets. Bullet is made of lead and was once spherical in shape, but one side has been flattened, possibly by impact, which has caused further deformation. There are several pits and gashes across the surface of the object and a white corrosion (lead carbonate) is beginning to form, this is common in older lead objects as it can be caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide.
90 1990.44.14 Bullet American Civil War era musket ball, used in smooth bore muskets. The object is a rough sphere made out of lead; there are a few areas that have been worn flat as well as a large slash and a prominent ridge present on the surface of the bullet. There is some minor corrosion beginning on the surface of the object, this is lead carbonate and is a common sign of age in lead items as it is often caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide
91 1990.44.15 Bullet Has 3 bands on its shank. Minie ball type ammo.
92 1990.44.16 Bullet American Civil War era "Gardner" bullet, used in muzzle-loaded rifles. "Gardner" bullets are a unique variety of Minié ball that were used exclusively by the Confederate states in the American Civil War and manufactured almost exclusively in Richmond, Virginia; these bullets are made of lead, have a conical shape, and a hollow base, as is the standard for Minié balls, but there are two wide, deep grooves surrounding the base rather than the thin tri-groove pattern found on most other bullets at the time. This style of bullet experienced widespread use exclusively during the American Civil War. There is a white patina (lead carbonate) visible on much of the bullet's surface, this can be caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide and is a common sign of age in lead objects.
93 1990.44.17 Bullet 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. A white patina (lead carbonate) is present on much of the object, this can be caused by exposure to carbon dioxide over a long period of time and is a common sign of age.
94 1990.44.18 Bullet 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. This particular bullet was Confederate in origin according to information from donor. There are a few indents as well as some slight deformation on the tri-grooves; there is a significant amount of white corrosion (lead carbonate) visible on the surface of the object, this can be caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide and is considered to be a normal sign of age in lead objects.
95 1990.44.19 Bullet 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. There is a white patina (lead carbonate) visible on much of the object, this can be caused by exposure to carbon dioxide and is considered a typical sign of aging.
96 1990.44.20 Bullet 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.
97 1990.44.21 Bullet 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. There is a white corrosion (lead carbonate) covering most of the object, this can be caused by exposure to carbon dioxide and is a common sign of age; There is a hole in the top center as well as a somewhat deep indent near the top. Object is from the Antietam Battlefield.
98 1990.44.22 Bullet 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. There is a white corosion (lead carbonate) present on most of the object, this can be caused by long-term exposure to carbon dioxide and is considered to be a common sign of old age in lead objects.
99 1990.44.23 Bullet Civil War era Minié (or Minni) ball bullet, used in muzzle-loaded rifled muskets. The bullet is made from lead and has a deformed, rounded shape instead of the conical one it should have; 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. There is a white patina (lead carbonate) covering the entire object, this can be caused by exposure to carbon dioxide and is a normal sign of age; the object is deformed but does not appear to have been shot, the top is rounded with two deep indentations and the base is malformed, no longer circular. Three bands on its shank. Very deformed. The bottom is pushed together and there are many scrapes as well as a large divot on its sides.
100 1990.44.24 Bullet 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. Object is completely coated in a white patina (lead carbonate) a normal reaction caused by age.