Spanish Grenade / Signaling Cannon ??

M ELEY · 23rd June 2021, 12:00 AM

Based loosely on the patina and verdigris inside the barrel, I could believe it's pre-1900 or so. Model cannons weren't really reproductions, but more like toy models of an item (or, to a higher degree, salesmen's samples if they were extremely accurate). They do have value and are quite collectable, but a search of the web should give you a ballpark idea. Being that this is a mortar and not the more common cannon models, it would appeal to a specific collector.

broadaxe · 28th June 2021, 05:36 PM

Very nice item! As said here before, it is a reduced size mortar - or actually a howitzer, as the trunnions are set in the middle of the (very) short barrel, and the elevating angle is limited. Blackpowder age mortars have the trunnions set on their back end, thus enabling a very high angle of fire. Small scale artillery is a side-interest of mine, having a small collection. These were NOT considered as children's toys usually, being fully operable - this one has a considerable destructive force. However, royal kids could have played with such. Miniature artillery for kids did exist, these are very small (mostly ~2" long) and crude cast barrels for making noise, sometimes being dug-up in excavations, sewage etc.
`Real` small scale artillery was also used as salesmen samples, and especially in military academies, for war plans and demo drills. The are considerable collections of them in military museums, sometimes not on display, or just put aside in minor displays - Musee de L'armee in Paris has an exquisite collection for example.
This item here has an apparently old barrel, affixed to a rather new carriage.

23rd June 2021, 12:00 AM	#1
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,141	Based loosely on the patina and verdigris inside the barrel, I could believe it's pre-1900 or so. Model cannons weren't really reproductions, but more like toy models of an item (or, to a higher degree, salesmen's samples if they were extremely accurate). They do have value and are quite collectable, but a search of the web should give you a ballpark idea. Being that this is a mortar and not the more common cannon models, it would appeal to a specific collector.

28th June 2021, 05:36 PM	#2
broadaxe Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 334	Very nice item! As said here before, it is a reduced size mortar - or actually a howitzer, as the trunnions are set in the middle of the (very) short barrel, and the elevating angle is limited. Blackpowder age mortars have the trunnions set on their back end, thus enabling a very high angle of fire. Small scale artillery is a side-interest of mine, having a small collection. These were NOT considered as children's toys usually, being fully operable - this one has a considerable destructive force. However, royal kids could have played with such. Miniature artillery for kids did exist, these are very small (mostly ~2" long) and crude cast barrels for making noise, sometimes being dug-up in excavations, sewage etc. `Real` small scale artillery was also used as salesmen samples, and especially in military academies, for war plans and demo drills. The are considerable collections of them in military museums, sometimes not on display, or just put aside in minor displays - Musee de L'armee in Paris has an exquisite collection for example. This item here has an apparently old barrel, affixed to a rather new carriage.