Item Number: A00817
Item Title: Nice rare 7in Harding shell
Price: $550
Shipping: Not included
Provenance: CS
Type: Harding shell
Size: 7in
Sabot: Copper ring (missing)
Fuse: Wood fuse adapter for the Girardey percussion fuse
Book:
Location Recovered: Long Island, SC
Description:Rare 7in Confederate Harding shell recovered near Long Island, SC -- the only place these are found (Charleston defenses). This one still has the very desirable wood fuse adapter with the raised lip intact. The raised area was made to hold the (now missing) Girardey percussion fuse. This is the type shown on page 231 of Jack Bell's book on heavy artillery of the Civil War and has a rarity rating of 9. I estimate there are less than a couple dozen of these around today. They are much rarer than the 6.4in size Hardings as rifled 42pdrs (from which the 7" Hardings were fired) were not used much.
Run through extensive electrolysis, cleaned and coated. Nice solid iron on this one.