A piece of 32lb solid shot, recovered from a Georgian British naval gunnery range – used to train gunners and officers in the years following on from the Napoleonic wars. The 32lb naval gun was typically used aboard the main (lower) gun deck – where the weight of a heavier gun would not affect the vessel’s centre of mass adversely, and potentially cause instability.

The 32pdr long gun was very much a ship smasher, and this size was later utilised in the Carronade design, whereby a lightweight barrel could be mounted aboard the upper gun duck or quarterdeck/forecastle without causing stability issues.

At 6” across, this piece makes a large and impressive collectible, harking back to the golden age of sail.