I can see why you would think that these had been fired at a metal target, but some seem a bit thin in the photo. 

Somewhere around here I have 3-4 pounds of spent lead that I was permitted to collect from a deflection sand pit at the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association annual rendezvous in Friendship, Indiana back in 1988 or thereabout. I'll try to dig them out and photograph an array of similar weights for comparison if I can locate them. 

Rich Green
Historic Archaeological Research
4338 Hadley Court
West Lafayette, IN 47906
Office:  (765) 464-8735
Mobile: (765) 427-4082
www.har-indy.com

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Richard W Galloway 
  To: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY 
  Cc: Rich Green 
  Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2012 10:45 AM
  Subject: Re: Flattened Lead Discs?


  I can't say I concur with you views on these. Having shot lead balls into metal plates at shooting event, this is exactly what they look like when hitting a hard object. If they were splatter from over pour they would have rounded edges where the lead cooled in the air. If they had been flattened with a hammer or other object by hand, they would not be as uniform in shape, nor would they have as evenly distributed petals. However, this is just my opinion after viewing one photograph and not being able to view / handle the items. 

  Richard

  Richard W Galloway
  Historic Archaeologist
  Kalispell MT, 59901

  On 2/9/2012 6:12 AM, Rich Green wrote: 
    I concur with Mark on this; these are not spent rounds. I don't think these appear to be spew or splattered lead from molds either. They seem to have been purposely flattened for use perhaps as poker chips, checkers or the like. 

    Rich Green 
    Historic Archaeological Research 
    4338 Hadley Court 
    West Lafayette, IN 47906 
    Office:  (765) 464-8735 
    Mobile: (765) 427-4082 
    www.har-indy.com 

    ----- Original Message ----- From: "Branstner, Mark C" <[log in to unmask]> 
    To: <[log in to unmask]> 
    Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 11:58 PM 
    Subject: Re: Flattened Lead Discs? 



      Those are not impact flattened balls IMHO. Way too thin and one has a modified rim,  think gaming disks or just schoolboy eccentrics ... If you have some with central holes, they could be whizzers 

      Sent from my iPhone 

      On Feb 8, 2012, at 10:11 PM, "Mike Rodeffer" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: 


        The illustrated lead ball appears to be a .75 caliber musket round.  I suggest you weigh this round ball and compare it to the flattened "lead disks".   The disks may either be a) flattened by impact or melted rounds. 



        Mike Rodeffer 




-- 
Cordially:

Richard W. Galloway
Historic Archaeologist
"There ain't no cloud so thick that the sun ain't shining on the other side."
Rattlesnake, an 1870's mountain man.