Rifled musket ammunition crate with Dahlgren inspector's tag. Approx. 13 1/2 x 8 1/8 x 8 3/4 in. 

A very scarce prewar variation of the naval ammunition crate. Black painted wood with an orange tin-lined interior, with brass hinges and a spanner bolt mortise to keep the box closed. Stenciled to front: "Naval Laboratory / Washington", to top: "Ammunition / for / Musket Rifled / Charge 70 Grs. / Jan. 1869 / [illegible]0 Charges.", and to interior lid; "Ordnance Laboratory / U. S. N. Yard. / Washington". Lightly penciled across top of interior lid panel: "Musket Rifled Cartridge"

A small period tag adhered to the lid interior reads as follows: "J.A.D. Inspt. / U.S.S. Saratoga / October 1860". J.A.D. was the inspector's mark of John A. Dahlgren (1809-1870), the so-called "father of American naval ordnance," who invented several large naval guns and would serve as a rear admiral during the Civil War. The U.S.S. Saratoga referenced was a sloop-of-war launched in 1842. The ship traveled to Africa in November 1860 to participate in the African Slave Trade Patrol, capturing the U.S.S. Nightingale and freeing its captives. At the breakout of the war, the Saratoga would return to America and would later be deployed as a naval vessel. 

Note: This lot cannot be packaged and shipped in-house. Successful bidders winning items marked as being packaged and shipped by a third-party service are responsible for paying the third party directly. We are happy to offer complimentary drop-off service to local third-party packing/shipping companies in Columbus, Ohio.

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Militaria, Accouterment, Equipment, Uniforms] [Navy, Naval History]