POST MEDIEVAL TOY

1850

A complete post-Medieval copper-alloy "toy" cannon (c. 1850-c. 1860).The toy is described as if it were a functioning cannon.The cascable (or cascabel) and the cascabel button has a length of about 6.0m. It has a first reinforce, a second reinforce and a third reinforce and there is no base ring or astragels. The first reinforce has a length of 19.5mm and a maximum diameter of 13.3mm and includes a vent hole.The second reinforce includes the trunnions and three reinforcing bands with an overall length of 16.0mm. The trunnions are set about mid-way down the side of the barrel. They are circular in diameter and have a diameter of 4.0mm. The trunnions sat in the top of the cheeks of the gun carriage and enabled the piece to be elevated.The third reinforce has a length of 25.6mm with a maximum diameter of 8.8mm. The muzzle has an outer diameter of 7.9mm and the bore has a diameter of 6.1mm with a depth of 45.6mm.This cannon is reddish brown with light green corrosion products.The cannon is probably a working model and miniature cannon such as this example may not have been toys for children but may have been used by adults.Length: 66.2mm width: 30.4mm; thickness: 13.3mm. Weight: 36.21g.The terminology used in this description has been taken from Blackmore, H. L. 1976. 216.Blackmore, H. L. 1976. The Armouries of the Tower of London. Vol. 1, Ordnance, 216. London: HMSO.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RML_9_inch_12_ton_gun (accessed 3/4/2015).