Nelson & His World

Discussion on the life and times of Admiral Lord Nelson
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 Post subject: Cost of a cannonball?
PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 4:05 am 
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Joined: Thu Jan 30, 2014 3:26 am
Posts: 82
Thank you all for your informative and accurate answers.
Does anyone know the actual cost of a cannonball?
Obviously 'wastage' would be kept at a minimum because recovery was impossible, which was 'sometimes' done on land.
Did the navy have huge stockpiles or where they viewed as very precious?
Thanks again...

David.


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 Post subject: Re: Cost of a cannonball?
PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 9:31 pm 
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Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 3:17 pm
Posts: 217
David
I do not know of any detailed written account of the operations of the Ordnance Board and the economics of armament supply. Hopefully other members of this site may be able to answer your question definitively. However for what it is worth, here is a provisional one.
I understand that the ironmasters of the Weald of Kent who supplied much of the army and navy’s iron ordnance in the second half of the 18th century charged £11 a ton for round shot (I assume this is what you mean by the term ’cannon balls’) and £15 a ton for the cases of mortar shells. I imagine that chain shot and canister would cost the same as round shot and grape shot something in between.
Some smart arithmetic reveals that the cost of a 32 pounder ball would thus have been 3/- (16 new pence); a 12 pounder ball 1/- (6p); and a 9 pounder ball 10d (4.4p). Quite a high price! What would the cost of round shot been fired away at Trafalgar have been I wonder?
Brian


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 Post subject: Re: Cost of a cannonball?
PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 12:34 am 
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Thanks Brian for that interesting information.
Its kind of relative to today it seems! (somethings dont change)

David.


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