POST MEDIEVAL TOY

1750

A complete 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 8.9mm. The base ring diameter is 9.1mm. Between the base ring and the astragal, the vent field has a length of c. 5.0mm and the circular vent itself has a diameter of 1.8mm. This vent is sometimes referred to as a 'touch-hole'. The trunnions are set about mid-way down the side of the barrel and are 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 first reinforce has a length of 15.0mm and the chase is 13.1mm in length. Close to the muzzle, the muzzle astragal has a diameter of 6.4mm. The muzzle flares and has an outer diameter of 7.9mm. The barrel is hollow from the muzzle to the base ring.Length: 53.8mm; width: 17.7mm; thickness: 9.1mm. Weight: 9.37g.This toy cannon is drab brown with flecks of a dark green 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.