POST MEDIEVAL TOY

1750

An incomplete cast copper-alloy "toy" cannon of probable eighteenth to nineteenth century date (c. 1750-c. 1850).The toy is described as if it were a functioning cannon.The cascable (or cascabel) and the cascabel button has a length of about 10.6mm. The base ring diameter is 8.1mm. Between the base ring and the first astragal, the vent field has a length of c. 2.7mm and the circular vent itself has a diameter of 1.6mm. This vent is sometimes referred to as a 'touch-hole'. On half of trunnions is missing. The trunnions are set about mid-way down the side of the barrel and the surviving half is circular in cross-section. The trunnions sat in the top of the cheeks of the gun carriage and enabled the piece to be elevated. The muzzle astragal has a diameter of 5.6mm and the muzzle flares to a diameter of 6.6mm with an internal diameter of 3.7mm at the opening. The barrel is hollow from the muzzle to the base ring.Length: 47.8mm; width: 12.2mm; thickness: 8.1mm. Weight: 7.21g.This toy cannon is reddish brown with patches of a dark patina.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.The terminology used in this description has been taken from Blackmore 1976: 216.Blackmore, H. L. 1976. The Armouries of the Tower of London. Vol. 1, Ordnance. London: HMSO.