^Lot 1371 Bronze (cannon) breech-block, ex-1733 Fleet, ex-Meylach.

Bronze (cannon) breech-block, ex-1733 Fleet, ex-Meylach. 33 lbs, 9" tall, 4-1/2" diameter. Very heavy and solid, mostly dark but some patina on bottom, with large handle on side and small hole in top, basically a 17th-century "cartridge" for a smaller cannon, enabling the gunners to pre-pack the powder and shot and put the whole block into the breech, lock it in place via a protrusion in the bottom, and fire away. Three Roman numeral I's next to the handle indicate which gun this particular block fit on board the ship. From the 1733 Fleet, pedigreed to the Marty Meylach collection (Sedwick Auction 8, with original lot-tag 2476), with hand-signed Meylach certificate and copy of 1962 letter from Mendel Peterson (Smithsonian curator) regarding this piece.