A cannonball ... a pommel ... or what ?

[fernando]

Thank you for that, Jasper.
However ... i can't resist asking you for further comments.
I was aware of pommels being used in scale counterweights, during their reincarnation. We can see a wide collection in the catalogue of the Schweizerischen Landesmuseum.
I also have one of the steelyard scales as shown, where i am using a cannonball weight for a load ... this also something i though was a one man's idea but have recently seen quite a few in two different collections.
My dilemma is: The object in discussion is hardly a pommel, as there is no trace of having had a hole for a sword tang. On the other hand, i can't imagine it having been made in purpose to be a weight, as hardly someone would care to give it a faceted shape for such linear use.
So ... what would have been the prior use this device ? It does look relatively old.

.