Is this a type of cannon ball?

[Chef Rob]

Does anyone know what this is. I found it in 1978 in Albion Michigan when my dad and uncle was digging in my aunts yard. It is perfectly round, black and I think stone but not sure (put it in front of my metal detector and nothing happened). Doesn't look like stone but don't know what else it could be made of. It is around 2 inches in diameter and ways 8.18oz. On one side it has what looks like a impact mark. I can't figure out what it is. Is this from space or some primitive cannon ball? Help me solve this 32 year old mystery.

[PCGeorge]

Before I say anything else... let me applaud you for seeking information to correctly identify what you found. Please, never feel embarrassed about doing that. It's better to find the Facts first, than to make an over-eager claim of authenticity, which then gets shot down. THAT is much more embarrassing.

Now... sorry to have to tell you, your item is definitely not a cannonball. All actual cannonballs -- and Grapeshot balls, and Canister balls) were made of metal ...specifically, Cast Iron. Based on your statement of this ball's size (2 inches in diameter) and weight (8.18 ounces), it is not made of metal. According to the US (and CS) Ordnance Maunual, a 2-inch iron ball weighs a bit more than one pound. This ball weighs only about half of that. So, the data confirms what your metal-detector told you.

Some people may wonder, "Well, what if this ball is hollow (a shell or a grenade) instead of a solid-shot?" That is a reasonable question, because a hollow metal ball COULD weigh about half as much as a solid one. But, there was no hollow cannonball (or round grenade) that was 2-inches (or less) in diameter. (The smallest is a Confederate "ball" grenade which is 2-&-1/2-inches in diameter.)

Regards,
Pete [P.C. George]

[Jack]

Just a wild guess. . could that be a billiard ball? I don't know if old billiard balls were made of stone, or maybe something like gutta percha.