Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Civil War Bullets - Unusual Yard Sale Find

I love unusual stuff. Just the idea of Civil War bullets makes me think of something so historically important that I can't even imagine someone's thought process when they decide to put them out at a yard sale. It's not every day things like a bag of Civil War bullets show up at yard sales. In fact, it's a first for me! They were priced fairly at $1/each, but I bought the whole bag (80 of them) for just $30 after some haggling.
Sometimes, an item's provenance adds to its significance. The seller told me these were dug at Fort Donelson, the site of U.S. Grant's first major victory in the Civil War in 1862, which earned him the nickname "Unconditional Surrender." These bullets are "dropped," which means they weren't fired in the battle (the soft lead would have flattened on impact). An expert could tell you what type of gun fired each bullet. Note the round musket balls in the lower right corner. I will sell these as a lot on eBay; estimate: $125-$150. Update: Sold for $100.

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