CANNON FAIRYTALES

[cannonmn]

I first saw the cannon pictured and described at the link in a generally-respected public museum in Washington, DC., some 20 years ago.  At that time I shook my head and chuckled a bit at the "provenance" printed on a sign under it.  I found the 2007 auction listing by accident today.  I'm posting this here so you can test yourself by seeing how many improbable "facts" regarding this item you can detect.
 
http://www.cowanauctions.com/auctions/item.aspx?ItemId=53172

[moose53]

For one It appears that they used a allen head cap screw to pin the trunnion band , don't think that is period . The ball appears too large in the breach end. The stamping is very sloppy . The eagle belt plate seams like it should be navy if they wanted to put it on at all , not sure if it is fake or not, stars are different then other plates .

[cannonmn]

Just got an email back from someone associated with the museum:
 

The museum sent this cannon back to the guy who loaned it to them. The story is apocryphal. There's absolutely no evidence that this gun was on the Philadelphia or that Decatur took the time to retrieve it. We actually did some research on this issue a few years back, and the surviving report by Decatur indicated that he and his men barely escaped with their lives from the burning Philadelphia, and the only thing Decatur reported bringing with him was a Tripolitan prisoner.
 

[moose53]

Are there issues with the cannon itself ? It looks like a fantasy cannon to me but  I am by no means a expert .

[flagman1776]

I was just reading the after action report submitted by Lt Stephen Decatur of the successful raid to recapture the Philadelphia, setting fires in multiple places blow decks, underfire from the shore batteries...  Philadelphia's guns going off, cooking off...  d*mn well want your means of escape clear lest the fire spread to her.
Agree, the report only specifies taking off one wounded prisioner.  One might find some grabbed trinket forgotten in one's pocket...  but with victory not assured, it would be the height of arrogance to risk one's military objective for a trophy.
It was a great feat, with none killed & only a single man wounded.

[cannonmn]

 
I think it is simply a home-made salute cannon maybe ca. 1900.

[KABAR2]

One has to wonder how the gun dealer could keep a good reputation hawking this item even way back when it was allegedly purchased! even back then I would expect a dealer to know the lines of 18th and 19th century cannon.... whoever bought this I have a nice bronze repro swivel gun I can sell you complete with story..... (NO! not really) You really have to wonder who buys this stuff for that kind of money.

[cannonmn]

One has to wonder how the gun dealer could keep a good reputation hawking this
item even way back when it was allegedly purchased!

Re-read the aucton house writeup; has words like "supposedly" and "possibly."  They put all the clues in there just short of stating "this is a crummy fake."  Anyone who didn't pick up on that nor do the minimal research deserves to have his bank account depleted a bit, kind of along the lines of natural selection, suvival of the fittest, etc.  My two cents.

[oltom]

and Paris is a virgin..........