Rare Revolutionary War–War of 1812 .71 Caliber Round Ball Cartridge in Printed Paper 

Description

Rare Revolutionary War–War of 1812 .71 Caliber Round Ball Cartridge in Printed Paper 

 

An exceptionally rare surviving .71 caliber round ball cartridge dating from the Revolutionary War through War of 1812 era, retaining its original wrapper fashioned from period printed paper. Accompanying the cartridge is a larger partial section of printed cartridge paper recovered from the same cartridge box, providing an important direct association between the two pieces. 

 

The use of discarded or otherwise available printed sheets for the manufacture of cartridges has a fascinating parallel in one of the best-known stories of Revolutionary War material culture—the celebrated “Gun-Wad Bible.” The name refers to the 1776 German-language edition of Martin Luther’s Bible printed by Christoph Saur Jr. at Germantown, Pennsylvania. According to the long-standing tradition surrounding surviving incomplete copies, British troops occupying Germantown appropriated unbound sheets from Saur’s printing operation for use as cartridge paper and gun wadding. 

 

These surviving cartridge papers provide a striking physical illustration of that same wartime practice: printed material could be transformed from the printed word into a disposable component of military ammunition. Whether newspaper, book sheets, or other readily available printed stock, paper suitable for wrapping powder and ball could be pressed into service when needed. 

 

The cartridge itself remains remarkably intact for an object manufactured specifically to be torn open, loaded, and destroyed in use. Its visible typography adds considerably to its character, while the accompanying fragment from the same cartridge box provides an unusual associated example of the printed paper used with this ammunition. 

 

A fascinating and exceptionally scarce piece of early American ammunition, with a compelling material connection to the practice immortalized by the Revolutionary War “Gun-Wad Bible.” 

 

Inventory Number: BUL 553