When I was about 12 years old (early 80s) I lived in downtown Fairfax, Virginia the site of the Battle of Fairfax Courthouse and a campsite for Mosby's Raiders during the U.S Civil War. I was searching for crayfish in the creek and I found the business end of a flail or morning star. It's cast iron and the chain doesn't look like it 'goes' with the ball. It was completely encrusted in rust when I found it.

Any idea on a better identification, the age, or what the heck it was doing in a creek in an area steeped in civil war history?!?!? Photo's attached.

thanks a million!

Jason

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Hello
It might have been attached ,to another ball,they used that kind of thing, in cannons, to tear stuff up.

Sorry, but it's a modern-made "wall hanger", probably made in Asia somewhere but they used to be cranked out in Europe as well. I've got a very similar one. Give it one good swing, and yes, the ball will no longer have anything to do with the chain! Could be as much as 10 or 15 years old, I suppose, but from its condition it might have arrived in the creek only a week or so ago...

Matthew

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the feedback. After doing some more research I tend to agree that this was ornamental.

This is at least 27 years old though as I found it in '82 or '83. Also, it was completely encrusted in rust when I found it.

Glen,
that is just too funny !
I am reminded of a jeweller friend of mine who assembled the jaw of an alligator, with the cranium of some type of bovine and added gazelle swirled horns for good measure. It was done impeccably, so you couldn't tell the one from the other... so people at Pennsic would stare and every now and then one would ask : What is this? Our standard answer was : I don't know, comes from out in the badlands somewhere, and we have yet to find a similar creature... That is when, every now and then, someone would exclaim: My, but it sure looks like the skull of some dragon... Do you think so???... Why, yeah!... and so on
He made a mold and has sold some in Japan.
bur your civil war naked lady knife( made in China or Pakistan) is up there too. Good one. JC

Hi JC,

The Korium daggers and knives of this ad were German made and popular in magazine ads in the 1950s and 1960s. Later, some of these were also made in Japan. The three from the ad still often show up on Ebay and I had picked up one of the claw and ball daggers some time ago. Those were sometimes originally advertised showing the tip piercing a coin. I had actually been (and still am) looking for German made Jowika examples. It was during that more recent search I remembered the dealer listing with the dug artifact lady. The dealer did include mention his obtaining it at a show table with the story.

The moral of the civil war sales and stories is what any need to keep in mind when looking for id or appraisal. or indeed, looking to buy something due to the story.

Cheers

btw, while the handles on the German examples are allow and plate, the blades are quite superior steel.