Item Number: A00366

Item Title: Nice 6.4-inch CS Harding Shell

Price: $940

Shipping: Not included

Provenance: CS

Type: Harding

Size: 6.4-inch (Rifled 32-lber)

Sabot: Copper Ring

Fuse: Wood Fuse Adapter (Missing)

Book:
Jack Bell Page 230

Location Recovered: Long Island, Charleston, SC

Description:Note: The brown areas that show in the close-up images below are from the flash. Very little can be seen by the naked eye.

The maker of the Harding is unknown. They are called that based on the image of the Charleston Arsenal showing a number of projectiles with "Harding" painted on it. It is one of the mysteries of ACW artillery collecting.

This round is the type found fired from Secessionville at Long Island which is located south of Charleston. There have been lots of Harding, Brooke and Mullane shells found there.

This example still has a beautiful sabot still attached. I would guess based on what I have seen recovered that around half or a little less lost their sabots. The rifling is nice and clear on this copper sabot.

The fuse hole is very clean with crisp edges and you can see clearly into the shell. Rattling around inside the powder chamber is the wood fuse adapter which was pushed into the shell. The wood fuse this shell was fired with can be seen in one of the images below. This is a neat plus. The fuse holes in these does not have a large taper so the wider top is not a lot smaller than the bottom and the impact occasionally pushed the wood into the shell.

The iron is well above average. You can see the lathing down the side of the shell. At the top of the side where the ogive starts is a heavily lathed area which is frequently seen on these. As with all the nose is not smooth due to not being finished and still having the sand cast surface. There is some small flakes here and there but much less than normally seen on a civil war shell. Over all it's quite nice. The recessed base shows the lathe dimple very clearly. Next to it is the hole where the shell was suspended for its electrolysis bath. This could be filled in if the owner wants.

This shell has been professionally run through electrolysis for over a year by one of the best and has been finished for a number of years. It is a very solid and good projectile.

This shell has been disarmed, cleaned and coated.